I Don't Think That's Pumpkin Juice
by rollergirl
Summary: QUESTION: Why are Draco and Hermione kissing in front of the whole school? ANSWER: A lust potion! A creative look at a fun premise. DMHG, AU after HBP
1. Ch 1 Attraction

Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable

A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first fanfic ever, so I'll try my best to make it not suck. **There is naughty language and sexual situations in this fic. Don't read if that offends you!** **Thanks.**

**I Don't Think That's Pumpkin Juice **

**CH 1 Attraction**

Draco Malfoy stared across the Great Hall at Hermione Granger. He could feel his blood begin to boil. It wasn't the feeling of disgust that he normally felt when he looked at her. It was different somehow. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. All of a sudden his heart began to race and his breathing became rapid. Droplets of sweat formed on his brow and he began to feel faint.

Blaise Zabini, a fellow 7th year Slytherin, noticed that something was wrong with Draco. "Oi, Malfoy, are you alright? You look flushed." He asked.

"I'm fine," Draco managed between loosening his tie and removing his school robe. "It's just so damned hot in here!" he added as he rolled up his sleeves; never once tearing his gaze from Hermione.

He noticed that Hermione was now looking back at him and appeared to be suffering the same sort of reaction as him. She was fanning herself with The Daily Prophet and completely ignoring everyone around her.

Draco suddenly felt very aroused. He immediately drank some cold water and buried his face in his hands. He tried to think of quidditch, Millicent Bullstrode, Professor McGonagall…anything that would make the large swelling in his pants go down. He closed his eyes to concentrate, but all he could see was Hermione. He envisioned her quivering on her knees before him. He then pictured her breasts pressed against his chest as he braced her against a wall. "What the fuck!" He thought as he opened his eyes and returned to reality.

The tent in his pants was very obvious now. Pansy Parkinson noticed it and announced, "Wow Draco, is that your wand in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" followed by a slew of laughter from the entire Slytherin table.

Draco wanted to respond with a witty comeback, but all he could manage was, "It's not _for_ you!" as he arose from the table. He couldn't stop himself. His head was screaming, "STOP! What are you doing?" but his body wouldn't listen. He was crossing the Great Hall, sporting a raging hard on, and heading directly for the Gryffindor table.

Hermione, realizing that Draco was on his way over, immediately arose too. She was feeling so aroused that she could not resist closing the gap between them. She walked right up to Draco and grabbed his loosened tie, pulling his face down towards her own. He responded to her advance and wrapped both of his arms around her slim waist. She was overwhelmed with the warmth of his body near hers. He pulled her all the way into him and stared directly in her eyes. Their foreheads were touching and she could feel his nervous breath on her lips. She closed her eyes and willed him to kiss her.

He did.

At first the kiss was soft and uneasy. It was as if both of them were trying to hold on to their last bit of self control. Hermione began to feel extremely hot and excited all over. She could feel the blood bubbling under her skin, causing goose bumps to form under every touch of his knowing hands. She instinctively deepened the kiss.

Draco, feeling Hermione respond to him, was overwhelmed with stimulation. He kissed her with fervor and eagerly began to move in synch with her panting body. Both were completely oblivious to the entire Hogwarts student body and staff that were staring in awe at the unlikely couple. Draco had never wanted anyone as much as he wanted Hermione in this moment. He reached around beneath her and hoisted her up onto his hips. She automatically wrapped her legs around his back and broke the kiss just long enough to let out a breathy, "Don't stop!" before resuming the now animalistic assault on Draco's lips.

The entire Great Hall broke into a frenzy. The Slytherins watched from their side of the room. Some throwing out catcalls and whistles while others remained silent with smug looks on their faces and ideas of future torment in their heads. Other students from different houses were yelling, gasping, and giggling. Professors Snape and McGonnagal were pounding their hands on the head table and shouting at the kissing couple in an attempt to get their attention and draw them apart. All of the students at the Gryffindor table were on their feet. A few of the girls were laughing and staring without apology, but most of the girls and boys were struck speechless with looks of absolute confusion and disapproval on their faces.

Ron was not one of the speechless Gryffindors. He rose from his seat as soon as the couple had begun kissing and was now standing right beside them screaming.

"Get your hands off of her, Malfoy!" He shrieked as he tried to physically separate the couple by grabbing Hermione and pulling her away. He didn't get very far because she simply retrieved her wand from what seemed like thin air and promptly cast a "Petrificus Totalus" on him that froze him on the spot.

By this time Professor Snape had reached the oblivious couple and grabbed Draco's collar. "Stop that this instant!" He yelled as he threw Draco away from Hermione. The look on Draco's face was one of utter fury. He moved to return to Hermione but was stopped by Snape who held him back.

"Let me go!" Draco yelled

"No, Mr. Malfoy, you are disrupting the entire school!" Snape bellowed. "You need to leave the Great Hall IMMEDIATELY!"

"Fine with me!" Draco retorted as he abruptly turned around and headed for the doors.

When he reached the door, he opened it, swung around to face the whole school and lifted his wand. "Accio Hermione!" he shouted, as Hermione was quickly hurled through the air into his arms. He swiftly turned and carried Hermione out with him.


	2. Ch 2 Release

Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable

**Warning: This story contains naughty language and adult themes**

**CH 2 Release **

Once in the Entrance Hall Draco felt excited again. The temporary fury that had filled him was completely gone now as he looked down at Hermione. She was smiling and nuzzling her face into his neck. She twitched slightly and quickly wrapped both of her arms around his neck and visibly attempted to breathe in his scent.

He continued to carry her out of the front doors and onto the grounds. She didn't know where they were headed and she didn't care. She was too aroused and preoccupied with Draco's arms around her to pay attention to anything else. Draco, on the other hand, knew exactly where he was taking her. He couldn't wait to get Hermione to his favorite place: the abandoned stables behind the greenhouse.

He had accidentally discovered these stables during his fifth year. He was sneaking around the greenhouse one afternoon in an attempt to skip Herbology and he had run right into a solid wall. He could not see anything, but there was definitely something there. He ran his hands along the wall until he felt a door and pushed it open. He had been frightened at first, but his curiosity overpowered his fear and he went inside the invisible building. Once inside, he found himself in a stable. It was obviously not used anymore because there was no hay or horses. He had stayed there for the entire Herbology lecture and then returned throughout the next two years whenever he felt like being alone. No one ever found him in there, and he never saw another person even near the invisible building. He figured that the teachers had probably forgotten about it. He had brought girls there on more than one occasion, but didn't normally because he didn't want too many people to know about it. It was his sanctuary and he wanted it to stay that way.

On this occasion however, he did not care if Hermione found out about it. He wanted her so bad that he just needed to take her someplace where they could be alone. Hermione was now staring at him with a look or impatience on her face.

"Don't worry, we're almost there." He replied to her silent question and he noticed her visibly relax. The absolute absurdity of Draco Malfoy carrying Hermione Granger away to go shag, never even crossed his mind. All he knew was that he wanted her and if he didn't have her soon he was going to go insane.

He rounded the corner of the greenhouse and set Hermione down to find the invisible entrance. He reached his hands out in front of him and began feeling for the building. Hermione took the opportunity to snake her arms around him from behind and start unbuckling his belt. Her hand brushed his bare stomach as she struggled with the offending leather. "Where is that damned door?" Draco shouted as he frantically pawed the invisible wall. He felt her lips on his neck and gasped out in sheer victory as he finally found the door. He immediately thrust it open, spun around, grabbed Hermione, and dragged her into the stables in one fluid motion.

Twenty minutes later, Hermione found herself collapsed beneath Draco as they both recovered from their escapade. Hermione had never felt so satisfied in her entire life. She looked up at him and immediately reached her arms behind his neck and pulled his head down to rest on her shoulder.

"That was amazing," she breathed into his ear.

He responded by simply grunting and kissing her neck. '_Damn, that really **was** good'_ he thought to himself. And then all of a sudden reality set in.

'_I just had sex with Granger'_ Draco thought and then he yelled, "I JUST HAD SEX WITH GRANGER!" He jumped up as fast as he could and began frantically looking for his clothes. He spotted them in a pile by the door and quickly began dressing all the while muttering things to himself that sounded suspiciously like, "Shit!" and "How?"

Hermione, who was a still a little dazed from the encounter, was puzzled by Draco's manic behavior. "What's wrong?" she asked him.

"What do you mean 'What's wrong'?" he barked. "This situation…you, me, naked together seems okay to you?" he roared.

Hermione, finally snapping back to reality, gasped loudly and immediately joined the fight to get dressed. "How did this happen?" She wondered aloud.

Draco was too busy pulling on his pants to answer her. He swiftly found his shirt and put it on, not even bothering to button it. "OH FUCK!" he shouted suddenly.

"What now?" Hermione shrieked while she was fastening her bra.

"I seem have a very vivid memory of you and me snogging in front of the entire school! Please tell me that this is some sort of post-coital hallucination." He answered.

"Oh, no!" Hermione whispered as she struggled for breath. Her face paled and she felt instantly shamed. "What are we going to do? I am completely humiliated." She announced.

"You think you're humiliated? At least you were kissing me. I am a step up for you. I, however, was kissing _you_! Think of my reputation. I will never live this down!" Draco whined.

"Oh, you smug bastard!" cried an exasperated Hermione. "Just do me a favor and get out of my face!" she finished.

"Gladly!" Draco retorted as he stood up from tying his shoes, blew her a kiss followed by a couple choice fingers, threw his robe over his shoulder and stormed out of the stable, leaving behind a very flustered Hermione Granger.


	3. Ch 3 Facing the Music

Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable

**CH 3 Facing the Music**

As Hermione sat in the stable alone after her encounter with Malfoy, the full gravity of the situation set in on her. She finished dressing herself, smoothed out her hair, and headed grudgingly towards the castle to visit Madame Pomfrey.

"Oh, this is going to be so embarrassing!" she thought as she mentally rehearsed what she would say upon arrival.

Ten minutes later, Hermione found herself paused outside the giant wooden doors of the Hospital Wing. She took a deep breath and entered.

"Good morning Miss Granger. What can I do for you?" Madame Pomfrey asked with cheery a smile.

"Good morning. I need to ask you for something, but first I want to make sure that whatever I tell you will be in strict confidence." Hermione replied.

"Of course dear" Pomfrey responded.

"You mean, you won't tell _anyone_? Even my parents or the headmaster?" Hermione clarified.

"No. I can keep this visit private as long as your life isn't in danger or you haven't been hurt by someone." Pomfrey promised with a genuine look of concern.

"Okay, well it's nothing like that, it's just that, I think I need a…I mean, I know I need an _emergencycontraceptivepotion._" Hermione stammered while consciously averting Pomfrey's gaze. She was so embarrassed that she couldn't bring herself to look the older woman in the eyes. After all, they'd known each other since Hermione was eleven and she was sure that the mediwitch still saw her as that same innocent child.

_I still was that innocent child until an hour ago._ Hermione thought grimly.

Madame Pomfrey remained silent for a few moments before placing her hand on Hermione's shoulder and saying, "I understand."

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Hermione emerged from the hospital wing fifteen minutes later feeling somewhat better. She was still rather embarrassed from having to admit what she had done, but at least she no longer had to worry about becoming pregnant with that snobby bastard's devil-spawn. She headed for Gryffindor tower with the intent of curling up in her bed and forgetting about today's atrocious events.

As she walked she found herself involuntarily reliving her visit to the hospital wing.

_I can't believe she actually suggested that I talk to a counselor about avoiding risky behavior. _She thought as she rounded a corner. _Honestly! It's not like I go around shagging random men all day! _

Soon, she passed a group of Slytherins who were all giving her dirty looks and sneering. This wasn't too unusual but something just seemed off about all of the attention. _Oh, that's right…the whole school knows! I had almost forgotten._ She thought sardonically as she immediately looked down to hide her embarrassment and rushed the rest of the way up to her rooms.

"Chastity!" Hermione called with a grimace as she neared the portrait of the Fat Lady. The irony of the password was not lost on her

"You know, Slytherins are not good company. You should be careful." The Fat Lady declared. "Don't expect to be sneaking a Slytherin by this painting!" she continued as Hermione stood shocked.

"Where did you hear about that?" Hermione asked frustrated. "There aren't any paintings in the Great Hall." She added.

"Oh, I didn't hear it from a painting, my dear. Everyone whose walked past me has been talking about it all day!" the Fat Lady informed her.

_That's great! This day just keeps getting better._ Hermione thought to herself. "Can I enter?" she barked, a little harsher than intended.

The portrait didn't reply, but gave her a disgusted look as it swung open.

Upon entering the Gryffindor common room, Hermione noticed an instant silence fell over a large group of fourth through seventh years who were gathered around the fireplace. They all turned and stared. It was quite apparent that they had just been gossiping about her and had only stopped because of her presence.

"Hermione!" shouted Ron as he and Harry shot up from a couch and rushed over to her. "Are you alright?" he questioned. "We looked all over for you after you left breakfast with Malfoy, but we couldn't find you." he added.

"You _are_ okay aren't you?" Harry started.

"What happened?" Ron interrupted. "What did that bastard do to you?"

"I don't know exactly…Do you mind if we talk about this somewhere a little more private?" Hermione whispered as she eyed the curious Gryffindors who were not even pretending to hide their obvious eavesdropping.

"Yeah, let's go to our room." Harry agreed.

Hermione was surprised that her two friends were not furious with her. She had expected Ron to be fuming right about now.

Once they entered the boys' dormitory Ron asked, "You don't actually _like_ Malfoy right?"

"Of course not!" gasped Hermione as she settled herself at the end of one of the beds. "I'm not sure what came over me, but I think it must have been a…"

"LUST POTION" both Ron and Harry interrupted.

"That's what I was going to say!" Hermione proclaimed while looking surprised that the boys had figured it out.

"I am going to kill that motherfucker for making a fool out of you in front of everyone!" Ron announced.

"Believe it or not, I don't think it was him who did it" said Hermione thoughtfully.

"Why do you say that?" Harry asked. "It does seem like something Malfoy would do. He is always trying to humiliate us."

"Well, I don't think it was him because he seemed pretty angry afterwards…once he realized what he had done…" Hermione stated as calmly as she could. She couldn't help the blush that spread across her entire face at the memory.

"What exactly had he done, Hermione?" Ron asked gently with a pained look on his face. It wasn't in Ron's nature to be this understanding when it came to Hermione, but he and Harry had decided earlier to be as calm and open as possible when Hermione returned to let her explain herself before they lost control.

Hermione hadn't answered. She had turned her back to the boys and covered her face. She was holding back tears and trying her best to calm herself. She didn't want to tell two guys that she had just lost her virginity to Draco Malfoy, especially since she didn't usually talk to them about these kinds of things. She had mentioned kissing a boy from her home town to them before, but that was it. This was going to be really hard.

She felt strong arms circle her shoulders and she looked up to see Harry giving her a comforting look. "You can tell us, Hermione. It's okay." He said as he began to softly rub her back.

"I had sex with him!" She announced suddenly and then began sobbing on Harry's shoulder. She could no longer hold back the tears that she had wanted to shed all morning. She was crying from anger, embarrassment, fear, and resentment all at once.

"You what?" Ron blurted out.

Harry quickly shot him a look that said "shut up!" and continued to rub her back as he moved some of her hair out of her face. He whispered comforting words to Hermione, telling her that everything would be okay and that it wasn't the worst thing that could have happened (although he couldn't think of anything worse than that!). Over her shoulder he made eye contact with Ron who was fuming. His face had turned a bright shade of red and he was gesturing with his hands as he paced the room.

Suddenly a knock sounded on the door. Hermione jumped and immediately started to wipe the tears off of her cheeks.

"Go away!" Ron shouted at the door.

"No, it's me! I want to talk to Hermione!" came the voice of Ginny Weasley.

Secretly, Harry was glad that Ginny had come. He was not used to consoling crying women and felt like Ginny could probably do a better job. He stood up to answer the door but Ginny had already opened it and come inside.

"Well, we'll leave you two alone to talk." Harry said as he grabbed Ron's sleeve and pulled him out through the door.

"Uh, yeah if you need us, we'll be downstairs" Ron grumbled over his shoulder as the door closed behind him.

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"…and then I went out to the Black Lake to see if I could find any of those gross water snails that Hagrid is always talking about because I wanted to find him a female one to go with his male one, and the giant squid was acting crazy and it tried to grab my wrist and-"

"Ginny! Does this story have a point?" Hermione interrupted with a giggle.

"Well of course it does!" she replied "The point is, I ended up falling into the lake and I was only wearing my school uniform, so my shirt was completely see-through when I got out. The worst part is that a bunch of third years, from Gryffindor no less, saw me and started checking me out. It was so embarrassing!"

Hermione burst out laughing at this, her tears now completely dried. Ginny always knew how to make her feel better and today was no different.

"So do you want to talk about it yet?" Ginny asked tentatively.

"Yeah, I guess now's as good a time as any" Hermione replied. She knew this was coming eventually, especially since Ginny had come into the room and immediately started ranting about her unusually eventful Saturday; all the while avoiding what was on both of their minds.

"So, what happened today?" Ginny asked.

"Well after that oh-so-embarrassing spectacle Malfoy and I put on in the Great Hall at breakfast, he carried me all the way down the grounds to some invisible shed or something, and we…had sex." Hermione said, rushing the last two words and suddenly finding the hem of her shirt very interesting.

"Oh my!" gasped Ginny. "Are you serious?" she sputtered as she struggled for words. It was obvious that she had not expected to get this answer. Ginny had seen the two kissing at breakfast and she had heard the rumors flying around campus after the two had left together, but she never thought Hermione would actually sleep with Malfoy.

"Are you okay? I mean, he didn't force you did he?" Ginny asked, still trying to adjust to the news.

"No, no! It wasn't like that. I mean we both sort of wanted it, I guess, at the time." Hermione said as she looked up to meet Ginny's eyes. Noticing that Ginny looked even more shocked, she added, "I think that we were both under a lust potion because neither of us had any control".

"I just can't believe this! Are you okay?" she asked again and after receiving a nod and a shrug from Hermione she blurted, "So, how was it?"

Hermione didn't know what to say. Her initial reaction was to say that it was horrible but then she started remembering how she had felt at the time. The lust potion had made her so aroused and impatient that it had felt so good to finally get some release. She recalled how being in Malfoy's arms had felt so right and how she couldn't get enough of his smell, his taste, his skin…_Woah, stop right there Granger_ she thought to herself.

"Well, it was okay, I suppose" she said finally. "It was of course stupid and I completely wish that it had never happened, but at the time, under the influence of the potion, I suppose it was good."

"Good?" Ginny asked skeptically. She had learned about lust potions from Fred and George and she knew that they were supposed to make the sex unbelievable.

"Okay, it was incredible." Hermione blurted out and then immediately blushed a deep red and buried her head in the blankets of the bed they were sitting on.

"Oh, Ginny! I can't believe this happened to me!" Hermione said with her head still buried and her voice muffled.

"I am going to kill Malfoy!" Ginny stated abruptly; her mood shifting from intrigued to angry. "He can't just do that to you! He took away your choice. What a bastard. That is practically rape! I mean, you never would have done that under regular circumstances! Ugh! He can't get a girl to sleep with him, so he drugs one?" Ginny ranted.

"Ginny, stop! You are not going to kill anyone." Hermione protested. "Besides, I'm pretty sure that Malfoy wasn't responsible"

"How do you know that?"

"Because right after we…erm…finished and we could think straight again, we both realized what had happened and he got really mad. He starting freaking out and cursing and then he ran away." Hermione stated. "I don't know who did this to us or why, but I know that Malfoy had no clue it was going to happen."

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**A/N Hi everyone. I have planned this fic out to be pretty long and I promise to update often (as long as people are interested in reading it) so let me know if I should continue. Thanks for reading my story! **


	4. Ch 4 Shutthefkup

Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable

**CH 4 Shutthefuckup!**

"I still can't believe she slept with him!" Ron ranted as he paced the floor of the Gryffindor common room. "I mean, I know she didn't have any control over herself, but why did it have to be Malfoy, the King of all Assholes?"

"I don't know Ron, but you saw her; she feels bad enough about this already without us making it worse." Harry said. "We should try to find out who did this to her. Do you think that someone intentionally meant to set up Hermione and Malfoy?"

"Of course!" Ron answered as he abruptly turned to face Harry. "Come on Harry! The potion only affected two people. Two people who hate each other. And one of whom has a lot of enemies. My guess is that Malfoy's gone and pissed off some old girlfriend who wanted to get revenge by making him look like a fool."

"Yeah, maybe" said Harry. "I am going to ask around to see if anyone saw anything strange at breakfast this morning" he decided as he rose from his chair and looked around the common room for someone to interrogate.

"You do that." Ron grumped. "But I can't just sit in here pretending like I am okay with this. It's making me crazy... I'm going to go get some air." Ron announced as he headed for the portrait hole.

Harry watched his best friend storm out of the room. He knew that this was exceptionally hard for Ron to deal with because he had always harbored feelings for Hermione. For the past few years there had definitely been an unspoken attraction between the two and Harry thought that the only reason neither of them ever acted on the attraction was because they were afraid to mess up their friendship.

Harry briefly wondered if he should go after Ron to make sure he didn't do anything stupid, but then decided against the idea. _Maybe doing something stupid is just what he needs right now_, Harry thought as he approached a pair of 6th years who had been sitting near Hermione at breakfast.

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Meanwhile, in the Slytherin common room, Draco sat on an armchair with a book in front of a cold fireplace. He had been staring at the same page for twenty minutes since he could not concentrate on anything except the morning's events. Flashes of his hands running down Hermione's smooth skin rushed into his mind. He shook his head to try and clear the images, but instead he remembered a small almond-shaped birthmark on her hipbone that he had kissed. He shivered at the memory and noticed he was starting to get hard again. _Fuck her for making me think like this!_ He thought as he threw the book across the room.

A few Slytherins, who were gathered around a table, turned and looked at him questioningly. He glared at them until they looked away and then began to scrutinize each individual in the room. He wanted to know who had set him up. He wasn't sure if he had been put under some kind of a trance of if he had been drugged with a potion, but he did know that some one had meant to humiliate him. Almost everyone in Slytherin had access to those kinds of potions and dark magics, so in reality, it could have been any one of them.

"Hey Draco, where is your girlfriend?" Pansy Parkinson asked as a group of upperclassmen entered the room.

"Yeah, you hypocrite" a halfblooded 6th year piped up from behind the rest.

Draco became furious at this comment. Younger students never talked back to him. He was normally so intimidating that none would dare. Something had to be done, but he was so stressed out from the entire situation that he just narrowed his eyes at the group and began to talk in a low menacing growl.

"I know it was one of you." He said as he looked each one of them in the eyes. "One of you bewitched me this morning. I don't take kindly to being humiliated and when I find out which one of you forced me to touch that filthy animal, I am going to make you pay."

That quieted the group. Everyone looked at each other wondering who had dared to pull this stunt.

"So, you shagged her though, right?" asked Goyle with a sickening grin on his face.

"What?" Draco shouted as he abruptly stood and grabbed Goyle by the throat. Goyle managed to look frightened by the smaller boy's rage.

"There isn't a spell on this planet powerful enough to make me sleep with that trash." Draco finished as he pushed Goyle back hard and walked out of the room.

It was bad enough that he had kissed Granger in front of everyone; he didn't need them knowing how far the affair had gone.

He stayed in his dormitory until Blaise came up and told him that the crowd from downstairs had dispersed.

"Find out anything you can about who did this." Draco suggested. "I promise to make it worth your while."

"How much are we talking?" Blaise asked, his interest having been peaked.

"Enough."

And with that Draco grabbed his broom and headed out towards the quidditch pitch to do some flying and clear his head.

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After storming out of the Gryffindor common room, Ron wandered the castle grounds and eventually found himself at the banks of the Black Lake. He took off his shoes, waded into the water, and found some smooth stones for skipping. He really wasn't mad at Hermione but he was somehow disappointed in her. His head told him that she could not stop herself, but the ache in his chest reminded him that she had given herself to Draco Malfoy.

As much as he didn't want to, Ron couldn't help but be jealous of Malfoy on occasion. He was wealthy, powerful, handsome, and now on top of it all, he would always be Hermione's first. Ron sighed and decided to head back up to the castle for lunch.

Just as he was reaching the castle's front steps, Malfoy walked out of the giant door. _Just ignore him_. Ron thought as he moved to walk by him. _Remember he did not set her up. He is just as much a victim as Hermione…Hermione_. Thinking about her again made him want to kick Malfoy's ass, but he had already calmed himself down and was no longer in the mood to start a fight.

Draco, on the other hand, was extremely frustrated and was looking for someone to pick a fight with. Ron was the perfect target. Draco watched as Ron moved aside to let him pass, but he simply moved right in front of him to block his path.

"Get out of my way, Malfoy." Ron stated as he tried to go around Draco's other side.

"No, I don't think I will." Draco replied. He moved to block Ron from passing again.

"What do you want?" Ron huffed and rolled his eyes, all the while trying to keep himself from hexing Malfoy and ending up in detention.

"So, how's your little girlfriend doing after this morning?" Draco asked ignoring Ron's question. "I'd expect she's probably napping. I wore her out pretty good." He sneered.

Ron knew that Malfoy was just trying to bait him so he tried his best to hold back his anger. He stepped up to the blonde with his wand in his hand and said, "You better shut your fat mouth or I'll do it for you. You and I both know that Hermione would have never come near you if it weren't for that lust potion."

"Just keep telling yourself that." Malfoy said with a dry laugh. "She was so ripe for the picking that she was practically begging for it. I'm actually surprised she is still a virgin…oh pardon me, I meant _was_ still a virgin." He said and then actually winked at Ron with a look that said _'Make a move'._

Ron was struck speechless at first. He was so infuriated by the way that Malfoy was talking about Hermione that he actually envisioned himself strangling Malfoy to death. Ron's entire face was red with fury. He raised his wand and with his last ounce of self control, flicked his wrist and called out "_Shutthefuckup!"_ A burst of yellow light spurt forth from his wand and hit Malfoy square in the face. Instantly, Malfoy's lips slammed shut and grew together rendering him unable to cast a counter-curse. This spell was one of Ron's favorites. He and Harry had made it up during their sixth year, but he hardly ever got to use it.

"Maybe this will teach you to watch your mouth, _Malfoy_" Ron stated as he moved so he was mere inches from Malfoy's face. "I already think you're a piece of shit, so you don't need to give me another reason to kick your ass."

Right then, Draco moved away and bitch slapped Ron right across the face. The spell wore off and Draco smirked. Ron opened his mouth to say something but Draco stopped him "Oh please, just stop talking...You're nothing to me" Draco said and pushed around Ron to leave. "By the way, cute spell. It lasted a whole ten seconds. What a feat!" he mocked over his shoulder as he continued on his way to the pitch.

Ron stood shocked. Had Draco Malfoy actually just slapped him? This was ridiculous. He felt like such a pussy! He turned around to go tackle Malfoy right when a hand reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Going somewhere, Weasley?" Professor Snape asked. He had obviously seen the whole ordeal and chose not to step in until now.

"No sir," Ron replied with a look of rage. _I'll kill that bastard later._ He decided as he turned away and headed into the castle.

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**Notice of Detention**

_Miss Hermione Granger _**is to report to**_Madame Pomfrey _**in room **_the hospital wing_** at **_7:00 tonight _.

**This detention is in response to **_inappropriate behavior in the Great Hall during breakfast on 17/10/1998 _

**Issued by**

_Prof. M. McGonagall­­­­­­­­­­_

Hermione read the detention notice that was just delivered to her by owl. _I hope Malfoy won't be there_ she thought and she checked her watch: 2:30. She still had some time so she decided to go find Ron and Harry. She figured she might as well hang out with them now, seeing as though she was going to spend the rest of her Saturday night in detention.

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**A/N I know it may seem like Ron is a little OOC in this fic, but I have decided that he has matured in his old age and is not the hothead he once was. He may revert back…I'm not sure.**

**Also, next chapter will have more action and plot development.**


	5. Ch 5 Relapse

Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable

**Ch 5 Relapse**

Hermione arrived at the hospital wing at 6:55. She hadn't had a detention in years and was really just hoping to get it over with as quickly as possible. She was thankful; however, that the detention was with Pomfrey and not Snape or Filch.

Upon entering, Hermione found Madame Pomfrey just finishing up with a patient. A first year was crying over his blood stained shirt as Pomfrey consoled him and quickly cleaned the garment with a flick of her wand. Once seeing that he was back to normal, the small boy stopped crying and smiled.

"Off you go now, you're good as new!" Madame Pomfrey announced as she patted the young boy on the head and he trotted out of the room.

"What happened to him?" Hermione asked shocked by the amount of blood that had been covering the boy's shirt.

"Oh, just your run-of-the-mill nose bleed," Madame Pomfrey said with a smile. "Now what brings you by again, Miss Granger? Is everything okay from this morning?" she asked with concern.

Hermione blushed. Her visit this morning seemed so long ago. "Yes everything is fine. Actually, I am here for my detention," she said, handing the notice to the older witch.

"Oh, that's right!" exclaimed the mediwitch. "I had almost forgotten that you and Mr. Malfoy were coming tonight."

"Malfoy's going to be here?" Hermione asked quickly, her face turning ashen.

"Of course I am," a voice came from behind Hermione. "I wouldn't skive off detention."

Hermione whipped around to come face to face with Malfoy. He was sneering and only met her eyes for a moment before walking right past her to deliver his detention notice to Pomfrey.

"Very good, Mr. Malfoy," Madame Pomfrey began, "Now that we are all here I suppose you two should get started. I have a few chores for you that are to be done without magic. I need you to change all of the bed sheets, empty the chamber pots, and catalog my potion stores. Now, if you don't mind, please hand over your wands and you can have them back when you are all done."

Hermione and Draco both got out their wands and submitted them to the older witch.

"Thank you," Pomfrey said and turned to head to the back of the room. "I will be in my office if you need anything."

Hermione was struck with panic. She wasn't ready to be alone with Malfoy yet. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she quickly turned to head over to the potion cabinet. _Just because he's here, doesn't mean I have to talk to him_, she thought as she began to mark down which potions were present.

It seemed that Malfoy had the same idea about not talking as he headed over to a bed and began pulling off the sheets.

They worked in complete silence for about half an hour until Draco had finished remaking the beds.

"Just so you know, I am not touching a chamber pot," he announced as he laid down on one of the freshly made beds.

"Fine, but I'm only doing half, so you can just sit there all night if you don't feel like doing the rest," Hermione stated calmly. She had just finished up her cataloging by marking which expired potions needed to be replaced, so she headed right over to the first chamber pot and "Evanesco-ed" the contents with a quick swish of her hand.

"Hey, you're not supposed to use magic!" Draco said affronted. He was secretly impressed that Hermione could do wandless magic, but didn't want to show it.

"Well, who's going to know?" Hermione asked as she cleaned the next pot in the same manner.

"Pomfrey will, when I tell her!" Draco said outraged that Hermione was getting off easy while he would be stuck cleaning the disgusting things by hand. "Do mine too, or I'm going in there to tell her right now," he threatened.

"Go ahead and tell her," Hermione said as she cleaned a third pot. "She wouldn't believe you anyway. Hardly anyone can do wandless magic. It's a rare gift."

"I _know_ it's a rare gift," Malfoy said as he huffed and walked over to one of the seven remaining pots. It was full and dirty and smelled horrible. _There is no way I'm touching that_, he thought as he stared down at it. _How am I going to get Granger to do this for me?_ he wondered. So far, threatening her wasn't working so he decided to change tactics.

He moved back to the bed he was just on and sat back down.

"Come over here," he said after a few moments.

Hermione instantly went rigid at the sound of his voice. She could feel his eyes burning into her back, but she didn't turn around to face him. "No," she said as she finished her last pot and began walking towards Pomfrey's door.

"Hermione…" Draco said and paused when he saw her stop in her tracks. He had never called her by her first name before and it felt weird rolling off of his tongue.

"Just come here for a second, I think we should talk," he said as she turned around to consider him.

He was patting the spot next to him on the bed and his face showed no sign of malice.

Her face became red once again and she couldn't understand how Malfoy could sit there so unaffected.

"I think we can talk just fine from here," Hermione said as she struggled to look him in the eyes. "What do you have to say?"

"Well, I just thought that we should make sure we are telling the same story about what happened this morning," he stated. "I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea."

"Malfoy, if you haven't noticed, everyone already has the wrong idea!" Hermione said exasperatedly. "Of course I've been lying through my teeth saying that nothing happened after we left breakfast and that we aren't dating, but no one believes me." she sighed.

"They probably can't believe that given the chance, you wouldn't shag me," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, please spare me your ego!" Hermione laughed. "Let's just agree right now to tell everyone that someone doused us with a potion that made us kiss, but that it was horrible and disgusting and that we still hate each other as much as ever!" she said, her voice raising to a shout by the time she finished.

"Well that might work for you," Draco started, "but maybe I _want_ people to know that I got Hogwarts' resident prude to spread her legs," he sneered.

Hermione instantly made a face and a sound of disapproval at his crass language and turned around again towards Pomfrey's office. _I should have known not to try to talk to him like a normal person_, she berated herself.

Just as she was reaching for the doorknob, she felt a hand clamp over her mouth and around her waist. She was pulled back a few feet and turned around abruptly.

"Look, Granger," Draco growled as he roughly pinned both of her arms to her sides, "I have already dealt with my share of human waste this morning when I was poisoned into being with _you_, so I don't really feel like messing with it again. Now you _will_ clean up the rest of these toilets or I'll tell everyone in the school how far we actually went this morning and how you couldn't get enough of me and begged me not to stop."

With that he pushed her towards the rest of the pots, and crossed his arms with a smug look of triumph on his face.

Hermione's heart was beating so hard in her chest that she could hear nothing else. For a minute there, she had been really scared that Draco was going to hurt her. She silently walked over to the remaining chamber pots and quickly cleaned them.

She turned towards Draco, who was sporting a smirk, and watched as he knocked on the office door.

"Come in," came the cheery reply of Madame Pomfrey.

Draco opened the door and put on an innocent face.

"We're all finished," he said as Pomfrey smiled and got up to check their work.

"My, you two sure are quick!" she noticed as she handed them back their wands.

Draco mumbled a "Thanks" and immediately turned and left. Hermione hung back a few minutes to give Draco time to get a head start. She didn't want to run into him on her walk back to Gryffindor.

By this time, her heart rate was returning to normal, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she had just avoided a close call.

"Miss Granger, are you okay?" Madame Pomfrey asked her for a third time that day. "You look really pale….When's the last time you ate?"

"I'm fine," Hermione said and forced herself to smile. "I think I am just tired," she finished as she turned and headed out of the room.

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Later that night, in her bed, Hermione could not sleep. Her mind kept repeating the entire day over and over again. She couldn't help the tears that began to fall at the thought that she was no longer a virgin.

She had, of course, been curious about sex, but she had wanted to wait until she was in love to actually do it. She always thought that her first time would be with someone special; someone who would appreciate the gift she was sharing.

Now, she would have to tell her future lovers that she had been with Draco Malfoy; a guy who had a reputation for being a man-whore. She knew she was just another notch on his bedpost and probably meant about as much to him as an old sock.

And after the way he had treated her tonight in detention, she didn't feel like she could ever face him again. He had really scared her and her arms had developed bruises where he had squeezed them to her sides. Draco Malfoy was definitely dangerous and she decided here and now to avoid him at all costs.

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The next morning, Hermione slept in through breakfast and didn't make an appearance until lunch. It was the first meal she had attended since "the incident" and Hermione promised herself that she would not hide in her room any longer.

She had awoken an hour before lunch and spent the time showering and getting ready for the day. She used a glamour charm to get rid of the puffiness around her eyes that was the tell-tale sign of tears and headed out of her dorm towards the Great Hall.

As soon as she stepped into the common room, she found Harry, Ron, and Ginny all waiting for her.

"Good morning, Hermione," They all said one after another.

"Hey guys," she responded with a grin. _My friends rock!_ she thought as she walked up to join the group. She knew they had all stayed behind in the chance that she would show.

"Glad to see you up and about," said Harry, "We were beginning to think you would sleep all day."

"Yeah Hermione, you must be starving since you missed breakfast," said Ron, always thinking with his stomach. "You feel like facing the crowds today?" he asked knowing that everyone would still be talking about her and Malfoy.

"Yes, I suppose so," she responded, "I mean I can't hide forever, right?"

"That's the spirit," Ginny beamed as she linked arms with Hermione and steered her towards the door.

Hermione and the group walked in silence for most of the way to the Great Hall. Just before they got there Hermione stopped and pulled Ginny aside.

"You guys go on in, I need to talk to Ginny for a minute," she said to Ron and Harry, who simply nodded and followed her request.

"So what is everyone saying about me?" she asked after the boys had gone.

Ginny had the courtesy to look angry at the idea of the ludicrous gossip and replied, "Well, pretty much everyone thinks that you and Malfoy had been hiding a secret love affair and finally decided to publicize it, and Harry, Ron, and I haven't really done much to kill the rumors, because we weren't sure what you wanted us to say. We _have_ told everyone that you two aren't dating though," she said with a nervous smile.

"That's good," Hermione said. "Just tell them the truth, but be sure to leave out the part about me and Malfoy shagging in a shed!" Hermione whispered trying to lighten the mood.

"Okay," Ginny laughed, "shed-shagging is out!"

With that, the two girls entered the Great Hall and headed over to join their friends at the Gryffindor table.

Hermione pointedly ignored the whispers and looks she was getting from the whole room and sat down next to Ron.

The first half of lunch passed smoothly. Hermione was just starting to feel comfortable that no one was going to bring up Malfoy when Parvati Patil leaned over and whispered, "Where were you last night, Hermione? With Draco?"

"No, I wasn't with that creep," Hermione replied in an urgent whisper. "I was in detention."

"Come on Hermione, everyone saw you kissing yesterday. You can't say that there is nothing going on with you guys," Parvati said with a mischievous grin.

"There _is_ nothing going on with us. We were under the influence of a potion yesterday, and that scene we made is what put me in detention. I would never kiss Malfoy on purpose. You should know that!" Hermione ranted a little louder than she had planned.

"Who slipped you the potion?" someone asked from across the table. This made Hermione realize that a lot of people were listening to her impromptu speech.

"I don't know," Hermione said and looked around for something that would take the attention off of her.

"Speaking of which; Harry, did you find out anything when you asked around yesterday?" Ron asked.

"Nope, no one saw anything strange," he replied.

Just then the daily swarm of owls came in bearing the mail. Hermione was glad for the distraction.

As people began tearing into their mail Hermione's eyes wandered over to the Slytherin table. Malfoy was reading a letter and drinking out of a mug. His hair was casually falling into his eyes and he kept sweeping it back with his hand. _I hope he isn't telling everyone that we slept together_, she thought. She had assumed that he wouldn't want people to know, but after what he said last night, she wasn't sure.

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The remainder of the day passed without incident and before she knew it, Hermione found herself outside of the potions classroom on Monday morning. She wished that Harry and Ron were in this class with her, but since neither achieved an "O" on their OWL, Snape refused to let them in.

Hermione walked to her seat and began preparing for class. Seven other students filled in along with her. There were four Ravenclaws and three Slytherins (one, of course, being Draco). No other Griffyndors or Hufflepuffs had qualified. _What a shock_, thought Hermione sarcastically. She wasn't surprised since it was no secret that Snape hated the latter two houses.

"Good morning," Snape said with a suspicious grin as he entered the class. The whole class turned around with confused looks. None of them had ever heard Snape say "Good morning" before.

"Open your books to page 117," Snape said as the class complied. "Just as we discussed on Friday, we will begin brewing Veritaserum today. This potion will take you the next two class periods to complete. Make sure to follow the directions carefully because you will be testing your potion on yourself." With that Snape walked up to the front of the room, sat down behind his desk and began reading a book.

This was pretty normal for NEWT level courses. They were more like independent study than classes.

At the end of the period Hermione moved her cauldron to the storage rack, where all students were allowed to keep their unfinished work. On her way back to her seat, a Ravenclaw bumped right into her and knocked her off balance. She stumbled into a nearby table and was about to knock over a simmering cauldron, but threw herself to the left at the last moment. Unfortunately for her, Hermione landed right on top of Draco.

He immediately pushed her off and shouted, "Ugh Granger, get off me!" while he stood and performed a 'Scourgify' on his robes. The spell was strictly for dramatics, seeing as though Hermione had not spilled anything on him.

"Five points from Gryffindor for clumsiness," Snape announced from across the classroom. "And another ten for not being able to keep your hands off Mr. Malfoy," he sneered as he looked at Hermione with contempt. "Please refrain from giving us a repeat of Saturday's breakfast display." he finished proudly as he rose from his desk.

Hermione's cheeks burned with embarrassment. She felt like punching Snape for being such an asshole and bringing that up in front of everyone. She knew that anything she did would only cause more problems, so she just turned back to her table and began packing her stuff.

"Alright, time's up," Snape said suddenly. "You are dismissed."

As the class collectively rushed for the door Snape called to Draco to stay back.

"Was there something you needed, sir?" Draco asked as he neared his professor.

"Yes, I wanted to talk to you about the possible side effects of lust potions," Snape said in his smooth drawl.

"So, it was a lust potion after all?" Draco asked.

"Of course it was," Snape said. "Did you think that you had the overpowering urge to kiss that girl for no reason?"

"No, I'm not a complete idiot," Draco responded defensively. "I just know that there are a lot of ways to make people act like that, especially with dark magic."

"That is true, I suppose. But you were definitely affected by a very powerful lust potion. These days, lust potions are too easy to come by. They have been causing a lot of trouble at the ministry. I just wanted to warn you that sometimes people can experience 'flashbacks' in which they spontaneously suffer the same effects of the potion long after it has worn off," Snape warned.

"Are you saying that there is a chance that I might _want_ Granger again?" Draco asked; the dread clearly evident in his voice.

"It is possible," Snape replied. "The best defense you have is to make sure that you do not get…_aroused_ when you are in her presence."

"How, in Merlin's name, am I going to do that?" Draco whined. "I am an eighteen year old guy. I get aroused 100 times a day!"

"Well, you will just have to practice a little self control!" Snape barked. "And if you feel yourself losing it, just get out of the room. If you are in class, simply leave. I will write you an excuse if that happens."

"Okay, well, thank you Professor." Draco said with a defeated look.

"You're welcome and good luck." said Snape.

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The rest of the week was filled with homework assignments, quidditch practices and classes. Nothing major happened and Draco and Hermione were able to settle back into their normal routines.

Since both of them were actively denying their involvement with each other, the rumors had died down and it seemed that everyone believed their story.

It was during their last class of the day on Friday afternoon that things took a turn for the worse for our two favorite 7th years.

Draco and Hermione were in their Herbology class working on growing trees that could be used to make wands when Draco started to feel hot again.

Hermione was standing across the greenhouse pouring a potion onto a Mahogany sapling. The potion was supposed to kick start the growth of magical properties in the young tree. She was pruning the base as she went and was bending very far down in the process.

Draco could not help but stare. Her whole ass was showing and she didn't seem to be the least bit aware. His mind immediately went back to that day in the stables. He remembered how she had felt in his arms and how her body had looked naked and covered in sweat. _Oh no,_ Draco thought. _This is exactly what Snape was talking about. Try to think about something else, _he willed himself.

His breathing became rapid and his heart began to race. He knew that he needed to get control of himself before he tackled her right in the middle of class.

He turned around in his seat and looked around the room for something to take his mind off of Granger. His eyes landed on Professor Sprout who was posed over a tree in the same stance as Hermione. _Ack!_ Draco startled as he got a good look at the teacher's polka-dotted knickers.

_Well that did the trick_, Draco thought as he noticed his breathing return to normal. _Now all I have to do is keep my mind off of Granger for the rest of the lesson._ He glanced at his watch. There were only two minutes of class remaining, so he began to pack up his stuff to leave.

On the way back up to the castle Draco walked slowly so he wouldn't run into Hermione. Ever since their fateful encounter last Saturday, she had been practically running away after each class. Draco assumed that it was an attempt to avoid him, and he was glad for it.

As he followed the other students up towards the castle, his eyes automatically found the swaying hips of Hermione Granger, who was marching determinedly a few meters ahead of him. As soon as he noticed he was staring at her, his arousal returned tenfold. His brain was clouded with lust and he couldn't think of anything except catching up to Granger and making her his again.

He broke into a run and grabbed her arm just as she was reaching the front steps.

"Hey! What are you…" she started but stopped abruptly as she saw the heated look in Draco's eyes. She ripped her arm out of his grasp and tried to run away, but Draco was too quick for her. He wrapped both of his arms around her stomach and pulled her back to him.

"Malfoy, stop! Let me go, right now!" Hermione shouted as she struggled to get free.

This caused the few remaining students to turn around and stare at the couple who were once again causing a scene.

Draco turned Hermione around, keeping his hold on her and kissed her hard. She pushed against his chest with all her might but he wouldn't let go.

He released her lips as he moved his mouth to the side of her neck and began whispering in her ear.

"Why are you fighting this?" he asked as he captured her earlobe between his teeth. "It's not like we haven't already been together," he persuaded as he grabbed her arms and put them around his neck.

For a moment Hermione was considering his request. His kisses were so tempting and his voice was so sexy. Her body started responding to his touch and she could feel herself slipping.

"Yeah, that's it," he urged as he felt her relax. "Just let yourself go," he breathed.

And she would have given in, had it not been for the sound of two giggling Gryffindors behind her.

"See, I knew she was lying," came the voice of Lavender Brown, "they are dating."

"You were right!" Parvati responded laughing.

"Well let's not just stand here staring, let's give them some privacy," Lavender decided as she pulled Parvati into the castle.

Hermione was instantly brought back to reality._ What am I doing? _she thought as Draco pulled her even closer.

With both of her arms still behind his neck she quickly cast a wandless "Petrificus Totalus" and watched as Draco was frozen on the spot.

For a moment Hermione felt frozen too, but then she turned around and ran into the castle leaving behind a very angry (and horny) Draco Malfoy.

**A/N Thanks for the reviews. They are very encouraging!**


	6. Ch 6 Blue Balls

**Quick note: I just got a full time job, so this story won't be updated quite as often as before. I will try not to let it go longer than a week though.**

**CH 6 Blue Balls**

Draco stood frozen in the front yard for a good ten minutes before anyone came for him. He tried with all his strength to get out of the body-bind while his lust crazed mind envisioned the many things he would to do Hermione once he was free.

This was torture on a new level. His entire body prickled with excitement and remaining still was unbearably painful. He craved Hermione and he could concentrate on nothing else.

His eyes were shut, being frozen mid-kiss, so he pictured Hermione's perfect nipples and a little drool trickled from his mouth. He contracted his leg muscles in an attempt to run and find her. _Finite Incantatum_ he willed but the spell did not end. Perhaps sheer need would be enough to do some wandless magic. _Finite Incantatum_, he repeated over and over in his mind.

"Finite Incantatum," came a female voice.

As soon as Draco heard these words he lurched forward to go find Hermione, but was stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes snapped open to find the pudgy face of Vincent Crabbe leering at him.

"Aaah!" Draco shouted as he fell backwards on the ground. "What the fuck is that?" he asked as he took in the picture that Pansy held up to his face.

"Oh, it's just Crabbe trying to be sexy," she responded casually. Draco tried his best not to barf at the moving picture of a shirtless Crabbe sucking his pointer finger and moving it down to his nipple while winking and making air kisses.

"Why did you shove that in my face?" he asked as he stood up and brushed off his robes.

"To cool you off, of course!" Pansy replied. "I heard Patil and Brown talking about how you and the mudblood were out here snogging, so I came to see for myself." she smirked. "Then, when I saw you frozen, I 'accio-ed' this picture to calm you down so that you wouldn't make another mistake with Granger…It's bad enough that the whole school thinks you're dating, you don't need to make it worse by sleeping with her."

Draco's body began to recover from the stimulated state as his mind unclouded for the first time in half an hour.

"And why do you care what I do?" Draco asked, remembering that he hadn't told anyone how far he and Granger had actually gone.

"Because we're friends!" she huffed, "Or had you forgotten?"

Pansy put the moving picture in her bag and looked Draco up and down. "Not everyone is going to be as forgiving as I am about this whole 'affair with a mudblood' thing," she stated matter-of-factly.

"I AM NOT HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH HER!" Draco yelled, his face red with anger. Not five minutes ago it was red for an entirely different reason.

"Then why were you kissing her again?" Pansy wanted to know. "You told all of us that the only reason you kissed her in the first place was because you were bewitched, but now you've gone and done it again! What are people supposed to think?"

"Look Parkinson," Draco started, "I hate the fact that I keep being seen with Granger, but it is not my fault," he insisted. "Apparently lust potions have side effects and relapses are among them,"

"Really?" she laughed. "So you're saying that at any given moment you could find yourself being completely hot for Granger?"

"Yes, something like that," he replied in an irritated tone. "There doesn't seem to be much I can do about it," he grimaced as he remembered shamelessly nibbling on Granger's ear merely fifteen minutes ago.

"Well," thought Pansy, "Now that _I_ know, I can try to help you...Maybe when you start to have a relapse, you can let me know and I can petrify you myself!" she suggested, "No! Even better, I'll shrink you to the size of a leprechaun and carry you away! Oh wait, No! I'll transfigure you into the sweetest little kitty so you can't do anything stupid!" she laughed hysterically as she envisioned a horny little blonde kitten humping her leg.

"Are you finished?" Draco interrupted annoyed. "Because as much fun as it is listening to you ramble on, I have better things to do," he announced as he turned to head into the castle.

"Yeah, like shagging Granger?" she asked still laughing.

Draco ignored her and continued on his way for a few meters. _What am I going to do?_ he wondered. He hated the thought of falling victim to the lust potion any time his teenage hormones got the best of him. He was suddenly overwhelmed with the idea of not being in control of his own body and he wanted to tell someone that he had already slept with Granger and feared he would do it again. He paused and looked at Pansy who had stopped laughing and was now just smiling at him.

Pansy was about as good a friend as Draco could hope for in a house like Slytherin. Although she had mocked him, she usually had his best interest at heart. Deciding that she was the most trustworthy person to tell, he walked back to her.

"Pansy, I need to tell you something," he said as he grabbed her hand and began dragging her inside.

Draco took one step up the front stairs of the castle and stopped abruptly.

"What's wrong?" Pansy asked at the pained look on Draco's face.

"Blue balls," he groaned as he let go of her hand and readjusted himself in his pants.

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Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor common room, word spread quickly about Hermione's extracurricular activities. By the time she had returned from class, everyone already knew about her and Draco. She saw Parvati and Lavender talking animatedly to a couple of fifth years and she narrowed her eyes at them. _Those bitches_! she thought as she listened to them spread their exclusive new gossip.

Hermione turned away from the girls and noticed Ron sitting with a displeased look on his face. _I better go smooth things over_, she decided as she moved to sit next to him.

"What's going on with you and Malfoy?" he asked as soon as she sat down. "You told me that you're not together, but then I hear you were kissing in the front yard for everyone to see?" he said in disbelief.

"He kissed me!" she defended. "He just ran up to me and kissed me. I don't know why, but I can promise you that I didn't want him to do it...There _really_ isn't anything going on with us and the fact that I petrified him and left him out there should be proof of that," she argued.

"You petrified him?" Ron asked with a chuckle, apparently accepting Hermione's story.

"Yes! I didn't want to stand there kissing him, did I?" she smiled, "Although, it doesn't seem to matter since Parvati and Lavender have already told everyone that they saw us together," Hermione sighed. "Now everyone is going to think I'm dating him again!"

"They won't think you're dating him if you are already with someone else," Ron suggested. Ever since the school couldn't get enough of Hermione's love life, Ron had decided that it was time to take her off the market.

"But I'm _not_ dating anyone else," she reasoned.

"You don't actually have to be dating anyone," he supplied, "you could just get someone to pretend to be your boyfriend."

"Yeah, and who's going to do that? You?" she asked rhetorically

"Of course I would, Hermione," Ron said smiling, "if it would help you."

She pondered his offer for a few moments. "Well, I suppose that could work. But I wouldn't want to put you out. I mean, what if you decided that you liked someone? She'd think you already had a girlfriend," she worried.

"Don't worry about that!" Ron laughed. "I am not going to like anyone else," he said and then blushed deeply after realizing what he'd said.

A moment passed before anyone said anything.

"This _is_ going to be for pretend isn't it?" Hermione asked; her heart beating fast at the uncomfortable turn in the conversation.

"It doesn't have to be," Ron whispered as he turned and looked directly at Hermione.

_Is this really happening?_ she thought as she stared back into Ron's hopeful eyes. She had liked him since third year, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to take that step from friends to lovers. She wished that her life wasn't so mixed up at the moment.

"Hermione, I like you…a lot," Ron said, interrupting her thoughts. "I think you like me too, and I know that you are stressed out about this whole Malfoy thing, but I think now would be the perfect time to try us out."

Hermione had the distinct feeling that he had rehearsed this. She sat silently for a few moments, before giving Ron a dazzling smile and saying, "I totally agree."

Ron looked relieved and laughed a little. He swung his arm around her and pulled her to rest on his shoulder. _I can't believe she said yes_, he thought excitedly.

The couple stayed in that position for a long time until they both drifted off to sleep.

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"Can we have the room?" Draco asked Blaise Zabini, who was sitting in the seventh year boys dormitory.

Blaise nodded and left Draco and Pansy alone.

"So what did you want to tell me?" Pansy asked wondering what was so important that Draco would bring her all the way up into his room.

"Remember that day with Granger last weekend when she and I kissed in the Great Hall?" he asked.

"_Uh, yeah_," Pansy said with a look that said '_Obviously!'_

"Well, I know I told you that's as far as it went, but that's not exactly true."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean that after we left breakfast, we sort of…went to these empty stables and shagged like rabbits!" he proclaimed.

Pansy gasped at this confession. "You had sex with her?" she asked shocked.

"Yes, but it's not like I planned it!" Draco complained. "It was the potion! And now I am worried about these relapses. It could happen again at any time! What am I going to do?" he worried.

Pansy was silent for a long time. She sat looking out the window, contemplating all aspects of his situation.

"I don't think there is anything you can do," she stated after a while. "Have you researched a possible antidote for lust potions?" she asked.

"No, but I don't think there is one," he said. "Snape would have told me if there was; he actually seemed worried when he told me about the relapses."

"I bet Granger set this whole thing up," Pansy said accusingly. She turned around to meet Draco's eye and at his surprised expression continued, "Just think about it. A stupid muggle with no power or status happens to be the one that you get drugged to sleep with. I bet she wanted to get pregnant so that you'd have to marry her," Pansy spat.

Draco's face paled. _What if she's pregnant!_ he worried. The thought that Hermione could have gotten pregnant never even crossed his mind.

"I bet you two didn't use a contraceptive potion, did you?" Pansy asked with an air of certainty. Draco shook his head, not able to speak at the frightening thoughts that were now running through his mind.

"Wait, if she wanted to get pregnant, then why would she have frozen me today when I relapsed?" Draco wondered. "Wouldn't she want to sleep with me again?"

"She's probably already pregnant, Draco," Pansy said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's just a matter of time until she comes to you demanding that you 'do the right thing'" she said.

"You're wrong," Draco announced. "She is best friends with Harry Potter and she hates me. There is no way that she would want to have my child," he assured himself.

"Just keep telling yourself that," Pansy said. "But don't be surprised if you find yourself at the ministry signing a marriage contract in nine months," she warned.

It was common knowledge that a pregnant witch could legally force the father of her child to wed her. This was done under an outdated law that was still on the books but hardly ever used. Every now and then, however, a story would pop up in the Daily Profit about a poor witch wedding a famous wizard under the "Family Protection" act.

"She's not pregnant. She hates me," Draco muttered as he laid down on his bed and put his pillow over his face. Pansy took the hint and left him alone. He laid there thinking for a long time, trying to convince himself that Hermione Granger would never do such a manipulative thing. _She is way too righteous_, he reasoned, but it was no good. The seed of doubt was already planted in his head. _If she is pregnant, I am going to kill her!_ He thought.

After an hour of debate, he decided that tomorrow he would find her and force her to take a pregnancy test. He nodded his head with resolve and, realizing there was nothing else he could do tonight, got up to head to dinner.

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Hermione woke at the sound of students mulling around the common room. She looked at the clock above the fireplace and noticed that it was time for dinner. She turned her head and smiled at the sight of Ron still sleeping with his head back against the couch and his arms firmly wrapped around her stomach.

"Ron," she whispered. She knew that he didn't like to miss meals. "Ron, wake up! It's time for dinner," she said a little louder.

Ron stirred and then opened his eyes. He looked disoriented for a moment but then smiled as he remembered where he was. "I'm not hungry," he said as he squeezed Hermione tighter.

"What?" Hermione said laughing. "I don't believe I've ever heard you say that before!" she mocked.

"Ha ha," Ron said. "It's just that I don't want to leave this couch," he amended as he began laying down, pulling her with him.

"We have to go to dinner," she said as she adjusted her body so that she was lying on top facing him.

"Why?" he asked as he moved a hand up and down her back. "Can't we just stay here? We can always get something from the kitchens later." He suggested. "This is the only time that we will get to be alone."

It was so strange for Ron to be acting so confident. She was surprised at how comfortable she felt with him.

"I suppose we could skip it, just this once," she conceded as she moved to rest her head on his shoulder.

He stopped her before she could complete the move. "Good," he said as he reached behind her head and directed her into a soft kiss.

_Oh my God, I am kissing Ron!_ Hermione thought as she shifted upwards for better access.

His kisses were gentle and a little awkward, but all in all enjoyable. Hermione was just starting to get into the spirit of things when Ron reached down and cupped her bottom.

_Woah, he is not shy, is he!_ Hermione thought as she bent one knee up by his side. She found herself comparing this kiss to the many that she had shared with Malfoy. She didn't like Malfoy…not in the least, but his kisses were amazing. She knew that the potion had created the passion between the two of them, but she still couldn't help remembering how great it had been.

She remembered a warning she once read in 'Witch Weekly' about lust potions. The article had said never to take one, even with a lover, because it ruined all future sexual encounters, since they couldn't possibly measure up. Hermione was starting to wholly agree with this advice as she kissed Ron and thought of Malfoy.

All of a sudden, she started to get a little aroused at the memory of Malfoy's touch. She began to move in synch with Ron's caresses and sighed into his mouth.

"Let's go up to my room," came a voice that was not Malfoy's.

"What?" Hermione asked, being torn from her fantasy.

"Come on," Ron said as he started to stand up.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea," Hermione protested as she pulled her hands out of his grasp.

"Why not? Aren't you enjoying yourself?" Ron asked confused.

"Yeah, I am," Hermione started, "but I'm not ready for anything more than kissing right now," she finished lamely.

"That's not what you're body was saying a minute ago!" Ron stated, clearly annoyed.

"Ron, I just don't trust myself to go up to your room!" she objected.

"Why? It's not like you're a virgin any more. What's the big deal?" he shouted as he stood with his arms crossed.

"I can't believe you just said that!" Hermione shouted back standing up to stare him straight in the eyes. _How did this become a fight?_ she wondered.

"Hermione, you had sex with _Malfoy_, but you won't do it with me?" he yelled. "At least I care about you!"

"That is not fair and you know it!" she responded with tears in her eyes. "I have to go," she added as she wiped her eyes and ran out of the room.

"Wait, Hermione…" Ron started after her, but she was already up in the girl's dormitory with the door shut.

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After the shortest relationship in history, Hermione spent the remainder of her weekend studying and avoiding Ron. She knew it was stupid to hide from him, but she just didn't feel like facing him yet.

On Monday morning, Hermione went to Potions, as usual. The class was extremely long and boring up until the last twenty minutes.

"Now we will begin testing the Veritaserum that you completed last week," Snape said. "Please find your sample and wait for further instructions."

Once the class had complied, he continued. "When I tell you, everyone will place two drops on their tongue and remain silent. Be careful not to take more than that as it will take longer to wear off and your fellow classmates could take advantage of your induced honesty," he paused for dramatic effect. "This two drop dosage, however, should wear off in about fifteen minutes, so let's begin." Everyone in the class took the eyedropper from their sample and dropped the prescribed amount onto their tongues.

"Note, that I will only ask you fairly non-incriminating questions to determine the success of your potion. None of your answers will get you in trouble," Snape said as he rose from his desk.

He began walking around the room looking down his nose at students as he passed. He stopped in front of a Ravenclaw's desk and said, "State your name."

"Anthony Goldstein," the student replied.

"Who is your favorite teacher at Hogwarts?" Snape asked.

"Professor Flitwick." Goldstein answered without having to think.

"And why is that?"

"Because he lets me take Hogsmeade trips whenever I want, even if it isn't a scheduled weekend," he replied confidently.

"Is he supposed to do that?" Snape sneered.

"No" Anthony said quieter. Snape looked at the boy for a few moments.

"Who is your least favorite teacher?" he continued.

"Hagrid," Anthony said quickly.

"And why is that?" Snape grinned.

"Because he is an oaf, and I never learned anything useful in his class."

Snape nodded and marked something down in his book and moved onto the next person.

Things went on pretty much the same way for the rest of the questioning. He asked what people thought about Potions class or when they last cheated on their homework.

Snape had just finished questioning the class when a knock was heard on the door. "Stay in your seats and be silent!" he warned as he left to talk to McGonagall who was waiting in the hall.

Hermione was surprised that all of the students had seemed to brew a working potion. _But I guess that is to be expected in a NEWT level class_, she reasoned. She was also surprised that Snape had not used his position to embarrass anyone. He had asked some questions that were kind of awkward, but he never commented on the answers given. When he questioned Hermione, he'd asked what she thought of his outfit. She had told him that it belonged in a morgue, not a classroom and he didn't even take any points from Gryffindor.

As soon as the door shut behind Snape, the class started to murmur.

"Who's under the influence of a working Veritaserum potion right now?" Daphne Greengrass from Slytherin asked.

"I am," said all eight students in the class.

"Oh really, in that case, who cheated on this assignment and brought some from home?" Draco asked.

"I did," said all of the Slytherins.

Hermione glared at them. She couldn't believe that they would be so lazy! _Don't they want to know how to brew it successfully so they can use it at their Death Eater meetings? _Hermione thought sarcastically.

"Who likes cock?" came the voice of Michael Corner.

"I do!" shouted all of the girls in the room and Terry Boot from Ravenclaw. Everyone laughed at this revelation and with that, the flood gates were opened. Everyone in the room immediately broke out a jumble of silly questions and hysterical laughter at the answers.

"Who is the sexiest professor?" Blaise asked.

"Snape!" said most of the girls. The guys in the room made a face at this.

"What did you expect?" asked Padma Patil. "It's pretty slim pickings around here. Who else is there? Flitwick?" The boys seemed to understand her point as they laughed and asked each other their own stupid questions like "How many girls have you been with?" and "What's the most dangerous thing you've ever done?

Draco, who was sitting in front of Hermione, turned around and met her eyes.

"Are you pregnant?" he asked in a whisper.

"What?" She asked, unsure if she heard him correctly.

"I asked if you're pregnant!" he said a little louder and then quickly looked around to make sure that no one else heard.

"Of course I'm not pregnant!" she whispered back, an angry scowl on her face.

"How do you know?" he responded. "Let me cast a pregnancy detector spell on you."

"No! There is no need." Hermione said loudly. She too realized her voice level and immediately dropped it down again. "I know that I'm not pregnant because I got an ECP **(emergency contraceptive potion)** from Pomfrey right after we were together," she whispered urgently. "Now stop talking to me, it's making me horny…" and with that she gasped and slapped her hand over her mouth. _Damn that Veritaserum!_

Draco laughed and said, "I always knew you wanted me," as he turned around and joined the conversation going on in the rest of the room.

"Who here has ever shop lifted?" a girl asked, followed by the affirmation of most of the class. They were still playing the "ask silly questions under the influence of Veritaserum" game.

"Who here has kissed someone in this room," Draco asked as he, Padma, Blaise, Terry, Hermione, and Daphne said "I have," in unison.

"Who here has slept with someone in this room?" Blaise asked with an evil glint in his eyes.

Draco and Hermione were the only ones to respond.

"I have," they said together.

The rest of the class went silent.

**Food for thought: Is the term "blue balls" strictly American and therefore something Draco would never say? I didn't find it on "A Dictionary of Slang", which usually has any British slang term that I need. If anyone has any insight, please share :)**


	7. Ch 7 Gryffinwhore

**Ch. 7 Gryffinwhore**

Something strange was going on within the walls of Hogwarts. People were acting different after Draco and Hermione's revelation in Potions class. It didn't seem possible, but everyone was acting _nice_.

At first Draco denied his involvement with Hermione as he had grown accustomed to doing, but he soon realized that "going with the flow" was a much more beneficial course of action. He learned that the more people thought he was in love with Hermione, the better they treated him.

All of a sudden he was the celebrity of Hogwarts. Teachers liked him for the leaps he'd made for inter-house unity, guys from all the houses thought he was "the man" for banging the Gryffindor prude, and girls started to flirt with him more.

_I should have done this a long time ago_, Draco thought on having a girlfriend. He didn't care that he wasn't actually dating Granger or that he didn't even like her. All he cared about was the fact that a cute group of sixth years had just walked by and smiled at him.

It was the Thursday after the fateful potions class, when Draco decided to play up his involvement with Hermione.

He was in the Great Hall having lunch when he found himself staring at a group of Ravenclaws. They were talking amongst themselves until one looked up and noticed his interest. He immediately shifted his gaze to Hermione and blew her a kiss. She wasn't paying attention but luck was on his side because at that moment, she looked up and smiled at a girl that was passing his table. Draco heard a collective, "Aww" come from the Ravenclaw spectators.

_This is too easy_, he smirked to himself as he turned and joined the conversation going on around him.

He continued his subtle antics all week, doing little things that would make onlookers notice that he cared for Hermione. He would wave at her or doodle her name on his parchment, all the while pretending not to notice his fascinated peers.

One day in Arithmancy, he pulled out Hermione's chair for her. Instead of sitting down, she just scoffed at him and turned bright red. She had opened her mouth to say something (probably to tell him off), when Professor Vector happened by and noticed the nice gesture. She wouldn't leave until Hermione mumbled a small "Thanks" and took her seat. Draco relished both the pleased look he saw on his professor's face and the completely pissed off one on Hermione's. _Embarrassing her is just an added bonus_, he thought smugly.

A few days later Draco had come up with another brilliant idea as he was walking behind Hermione on his way to class. He caught up with her and tripped her just so he could catch her in his arms. _How romantic_, he laughed as he stood her upright and told her to be more careful.

He loved the look of rage playing across her face.

"Let go of me!" Hermione had spat, "and stop pretending you're in love with me!"

She wrenched herself out of his grip and started kneeling down to pick up the books that had fallen out of her hands.

Draco stopped her efforts and bent down to pick up the books himself. As he handed them to her, he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Don't get too excited. The more they think I love you, the more they want me." He motioned to a cluster of girls passing by and then kissed her on the cheek and walked off.

Hermione was left speechless and furious. She'd finally figured out his scheme. _He is officially the Asshole-of-the-Century_, she decided.

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Things were going great for a few weeks until Draco realized he was ready to cash in on his new "boyfriend-of-the-year" status. He had played long enough and was ready to take advantage of his groupies.

And he knew just the groupie to start with. Her name was Sienna Burke and she was a fifth year Hufflepuff. She also happened to be a pureblood and the most beautiful girl in the school.

His father had told him about her ages ago; implying that she would make the perfect Mrs. Draco Malfoy someday. Draco didn't need his dad's input on this matter. He had noticed her on his own, but never had a chance with her because her parents had strictly enforced a "no dating" policy when she was younger.

Sienna came from on old wizarding family that had strong ties to the dark arts. Her great uncle Caractacus, co-founded Borgin & Burkes in Knockturn Alley which of course dealt in the sale of powerful and dark magical objects.

Sienna herself couldn't be more different from the reputation of her family. She was young, fun and carefree. She believed in blood purity, but didn't advertise it much because she didn't want to get the reputation of being a snob.

Now normally, Draco didn't go for Hufflepuffs. He thought they were all idiots and they usually were, but intelligence wasn't very high on his "list of important traits in a girl". He didn't really care if the girl was smart as long as she was hot, and Sienna was extremely hot.

It was during a quidditch practice when Draco became aware of her interest in him. He had been flying some speed drills when he noticed a group of Hufflepuffs watching from the stands. Sienna was among them and he winked at her just to see what would happen. He was shocked when she smiled back.

That was how the whole thing started. After that practice, Draco invited her to study and the pair began spending a lot of time together.

Sienna asked him about Hermione one day after Draco had tried to hold her hand.

"Hermione and I are just friends," he responded (lying through his teeth). "I just wanted people to think we were dating so that no one would think poorly of her after everyone found out about us." He then grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

"I'm not interested in her," he said sincerely as she relaxed a little and smiled.

_I'm a fucking genius_, he thought as he saw the look of admiration in her eyes. She believed that he was actually worried about Granger's reputation. His little speech _had _been quite convincing.

"And what exactly happened between the two of you?" she asked after a while.

"Nothing, really," he responded, squeezing her hand. "We were both the unlucky victims of a lust potion and that's it. We were forced together one time and we both wish it never happened. We were never really dating." He said and she seemed satisfied.

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Hermione wasn't having things as easy. She was completely humiliated after her confession in potions and believe it or not, the confession wasn't the worst part. That was reserved for the numerous other questions she was forced to answer right after admitting to sleeping with Malfoy.

"When did it happen?" someone had asked.

"How many times?" another jumped in.

"Was she good?"

"Was he?"

"Was it your first time?"

"Describe it to us _in detail_"

She was lucky enough to have been spared from that last one as Snape came into the room and forced the class to quiet down.

He made everyone wait until the Veritaserum had completely worn off before dismissing the class. It was the first time that Hermione had been grateful to the greasy potions master.

Ever since then, she had been forced to endure the looks and giddy questions from all the girls she knew.

"How's Draco?" they would ask her, with sly smiles on their faces.

"I wouldn't know," she would respond and then count to ten as she tried to suppress her annoyance.

"Sure Hermione, whatever you say," they would chant as they giggled and skipped away.

And the situation got ten times worse when Draco started pretending that they actually were together.

_Stupid Malfoy_, she thought every time she saw that flirty grin on his face or that silly wave.

One day during charms, as he sat in his usual seat on the opposite side of the classroom, Draco decided to make a scene. He wrote her a note and asked for other students to pass it to her. It went through five students before it reached her!

Once she got it, she wanted to slap him. It was folded nicely and boasted a large heart that said "To Hermione, my little Gryffinwhore," in the middle. She looked up at him and frowned. _What is he thinking?_ she wondered. He just smiled at her and mouthed, "Open it". Against her better judgment, she opened the note to find a moving drawing of her petting a cute little puppy. The puppy seemed happy but then turned on her and bit her head off. Even though it was really annoying, it was also quite funny. She laughed to herself but didn't look at him again.

A few weeks of this behavior had driven her to her wit's end. She no longer cared if people thought she was dating Draco as long as she didn't have to hear about it anymore.

She was in one of the courtyards one afternoon talking and relaxing with Harry and Ron when Ginny ran up to the trio, frantic.

"Oh my gosh, you guys….guess what I just found out?" she said while she tried to catch her breath. "Romilda Vane is the one who did it," she continued not waiting for the group's response.

"Did what?" asked Ron. He and Hermione had apologized to each other shortly after the potions-class-confession and were now on fairly good terms.

"Gave Hermione the lust potion!" she shouted exasperated as if everyone else should have known.

"What? How do you know?" Hermione asked clearly shocked.

Ginny went on to describe the details of her unintentional discovery.

She had been in one of the bathrooms on the fourth floor when she heard Romilda, a 6th year Gryffindor, talking to some friends about how her plan had backfired. Ginny listened as the girl explained how she slipped the potion to Hermione as payback. Aparently, Hermione had caught Romilda and a boy getting frisky in a broom cupboard one night and busted them for curfew. Not long after that, word had leaked about Romilda's nocturnal activities and her reputation had been permanently scarred.

"That jealous prude needed to get laid," Ginny had heard her laugh. "I only picked Malfoy because she hates him. I didn't expect them to get together and be the perfect little couple. It is so unfair. One night with Hermione Granger and all of a sudden he is a model boyfriend. It makes me sick…" and she continued to rant.

Ginny had waited until the girls left, "and then I ran straight out to find Hermione," she announced as she finished her tale.

Ginny looked at the trio who were staring at her dumbstruck. They couldn't believe that they had been betrayed by one of their own.

"I can't believe she did that!" Harry was the first to speak. "What a bitch!" he added when no one else spoke.

Finally, Hermione pulled herself out of her stupor and asked, "Did she say what potion it was?"

"No, I don't think so," Ginny replied.

"Well, I need to know!" Hermione shouted. She was obviously freaking out. "There could be side effects or interactions or lasting effects. Potions are dangerous! I need to find out if…"

"Hermione!" Ron interrupted. "It will be okay. Harry and I will go ask her what potion it was. Just relax woman!" he joked as he grabbed her shoulders to steady her.

"No, no…it's okay guys, I think I want to do this myself," Hermione said as she turned to head into the castle. "Thanks anyway, I'll see you later," she called over her shoulder.

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"Romilda!" Hermione called as she found the girl leaving the Gryffindor tower.

"What?' she asked angrily.

"I think you know what," Hermione responded, stepping in front of the younger girl's path.

"No, I don't know. I can't read your mind," Romilda said, not hiding her obvious dislike.

"What is the name of the potion you gave me?" Hermione asked point blank.

"What are you talking about? I didn't give you any potion," Romilda said narrowing her eyes.

"Don't play dumb," Hermione spat. "Tell me right now, or I'm going to McGonagall," she threatened.

"Fine," Romilda said after a minute of glaring. She knew that Hermione would tell on her. She was such a goody-two-shoes. "It's called La Mosca Española"

"You gave me a Spanish Fly?" Hermione asked astonished. "Those actually exist?"

She began pulling up everything she could remember about them from the muggle world. All she knew of them was the urban legend that they were an aphrodisiac.

"Look Granger, I don't know anything about it. I got it as a gag gift from my boyfriend," she breathed uninterested.

"Whatever, Romilda. I've got to go," Hermione said not really listening to the other girl anymore. With that she turned and headed up to the library. She had some research to do.

"You're not going to tell McGonagall are you?" Romilda called after her, but Hermione was already around the corner.

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Two hours later, Harry and Ron were just finishing up a game of wizard's chess when Hermione stormed into the common room.

"Hey Hermione," the boys chirped without looking up from their game.

"Check mate," said Ron as his knight stabbed Harry's king.

"So did you find Romilda?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I found that skanky cow," she said angrily. "And when I see her again, I am going to curse her…bad." She finished as she threw her bag onto the floor and fell back onto the couch.

"What happened?" Harry asked. "Did you find out what potion she used?" he wondered as he magicked the chess board back to the starting position.

"Yes…I found out a lot of things. She used a Spanish Fly on me. I looked it up and there are some huge side effects!" she ranted.

"Really? Like what?" Ron asked worried. "Are you going to grow a third leg or something?" Some potions were known to cause weird bodily growths.

"No, but I can't eat raw lemons for a year because I could turn yellow if I do!" she responded.

"That's not so bad," Harry said, "I mean, when was the last time you ate a raw lemon?"

"Oh no, that isn't the bad part," Hermione laughed. "The bad part is that people who take Spanish Flies have relapses for the rest of their lives!" she screamed.

Both boys sat looking confused.

"Don't you understand?" she shouted. "That means that for the rest of my life, I have to worry about wanting to shag Malfoy!"

Harry and Ron had never seen Hermione this mad before. They looked at each other and silently agreed that they needed to get out of the line of fire.

"Wow Hermione, that is horrible. Is there anything we can do?" Ron asked as he stood up and stretched.

"No, but I found something that might be able to help me. There is a temporary 'Mind Wipe' potion that is supposed to curb the instance of relapses."

"Oh, okay," one of the boys said as they headed up to their dorms. "Well, we'll see you later Hermione, we are going to start out DADA paper."

Hermione was too busy flipping through a heavy book and taking notes to notice the boys' not-so-subtle exit.

She had learned that the relapses were tied to arousal and especially to the memory of the erotic event itself. Therefore, many people were able to remove the relapses simply by erasing the memory of the lust-charged sex.

One couple had been in a very similar situation to Hermione and Malfoy's and had completely remedied their relapses by wiping their memories and then avoiding each other.

People who didn't use the Mind Wipe suffered the consequences severely as their love lives were marred forever. Anytime they became aroused, they would be so compelled to be with the one particular person that they could not satisfy their passion with anyone else. It didn't matter what made them horny in the first place, they would always relapse into wanting the one individual. Many marriages and relationships failed because of infidelity from the affected partner.

In several of the cases she read about, the subjects ended up marrying the person they were linked to, just to make things easier. Hermione was not about to spend the rest of her life with Draco Malfoy, so she knew she would have to find a way to both brew the Mind Wipe potion and get him to take it with her.

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It was a crisp Saturday afternoon that found the entire school at the quidditch pitch watching the Slytherin-Ravenclaw match.

Hermione, Ron and Harry were in the Gryffindor stands cheering for Ravenclaw. Even though Ravenclaw had the best chance of taking the Quidditch cup from Gryffindor, Harry and Ron could not bring themselves to cheer for Slytherin.

The score was 80-30 in Ravenclaw's favor and the crowd was going wild. It had been a brutal match chalked full of all the injuries and foul play one could expect from a classic game of quidditch.

Hermione found herself watching Draco on his broom. He was just as cocky and confident in the air as he was on land. She watched his powerful arms maneuver his broom as he circled around the pitch. She began to feel hot all over. Flashes of those same arms circling her body jumped into her mind. She could almost feel his hands on her skin. _Oh shit! Not now,_ she begged silently as she realized what was happening to her.

She willed herself to get up and run back to the castle but couldn't tear her eyes off of him. He dodged a bludger and then wiped his brow regaining his composure. Hermione could not stop herself from rubbing her hand on her thigh and pretending it was him. She was lucky that everyone around her was too involved in the match to witness her little display.

Suddenly Malfoy whipped his head to the right and shot out in a hot pursuit of the snitch. The crowd became silent as everyone held their breath in anticipation. Hermione was pretty far gone by this point and she stood up, leaned over the railing, and unconsciously mapped out the quickest route to the locker rooms so she could jump him right after the match. Her body was trembling and she began fantasizing about how she could surprise Malfoy by dragging his dirty, sweaty body into the showers.

She hardly noticed as the crowd suddenly let out a collective roar in both triumph and disappointment as Malfoy captured the snitch and held it up signaling the end of the match. Hermione let out a whimper as she watched him rip off his soiled jersey and throw it over the Ravenclaw goal posts. The other players followed suit, as this was the Slytherin tradition when ever they won a match. It was such an arrogant Slytherin thing to do, to cover the other team's goals in green, but Hermione found herself grateful for it as she got a glimpse of his stomach when his undershirt had ridden up.

She could not control herself anymore and she began to push her way through the crowds in an attempt make it down to the ground. Her effort to reach him was complicated by the numerous other students who were now rushing the field. Hermione pulled out her wand and started tripping people and hexing them out of her way as she ran nearer and nearer to her man. She was about 20 meters away when she was stopped dead in her tracks.

She watched in horror as a ditzy blonde Hufflepuff flitted up behind him and circled her arms around his shoulders. He turned around to see who had embraced him and immediately pulled her into a provocative kiss.

"NO!" Hermione screamed as she felt her lust dissipate into rage. She gripped her wand and began charging at the couple with a menacing growl.

Her scream had been drowned out by the crowd's excited chatter, but once people saw her marching towards the kissing couple a new hush fell over them.

"Oh, poor Hermione!" she heard as a group of onlookers thought they were witnessing a boy cheating on his girlfriend.

_Die, die, die!_ Hermione thought as she neared her pray. She was just about to cast a rather debilitating hex on the unsuspecting girl, when she was tackled from behind by none other than her two best friends.

**I wanted to post this sooner, but I couldn't get it right…it still isn't exactly what I wanted but alas! **

**Also, don't you hate it when life gets in the way of fanfiction?**


	8. Ch 8 Slytherin, Slytherout

**Warning: Sex and naughty language**

**Ch. 8 Slyther-in, Slyther-out**

Hermione rushed out of the Charms classroom completely ignoring the protests from her professor. Her quick pace caused wind to blow into her red face. She had removed her heavy school robe and rolled up her sleeves but she was still uncomfortably hot. She was in such a flustered state that she hadn't even remembered to grab her books as she left class.

Suddenly, a hand caught her around the waist as she passed the trophy room. She called out in surprise and tried to pull away, but her assailant clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her screams. She was pulled into the room and thrown up against one of the glass trophy cases.

She had unconsciously closed her eyes as her head hit the glass, but as soon as she opened them, she stopped struggling.

"You're here!" she gasped and smiled in relief at seeing Draco. "I was just coming to find you," she breathed as she moved her hands from pushing against his chest to softly stroking his shoulders.

"You were?" Draco let go of his tight grip on her upper arms and moved a few stray locks of hair out of her eyes.

They were both panting and they didn't need to say anything because they both knew what they needed. It seemed like each was waiting for the other to make the first move. Draco had his hand on her check and was rubbing her lips with his thumb. Hermione opened her mouth and bit his thumb playfully. After that, they both sprung into action almost simultaneously.

Hermione moved her hands to the bottom hem of his white t-shirt and he raised his arms as she pulled it up over his head. He smiled at the desperate look on her face and was glad that she was already aroused. He didn't think he would have been able to hold himself back long enough to get her in the mood.

She threw the t-shirt aside and ran her hands down his bare chest towards his belt buckle where she started opening it as fast as she could. She studied him as her fingers worked on the buckle. His hair was adorably disheveled and his face held a look of concentration mixed with desire. _He is so sexy,_ Hermione thought while she watched the muscles in his arms flex and release as he worked on removing her clothes. He looked so different than that arrogant snob she normally encountered.

Draco, on the other hand, was trying to open up the many buttons on her school blouse. He had only gotten three done before his trousers were around his ankles so he just ripped the shirt open, smirking at the hungry look she gave him as the buttons went flying. He moved his hands up her stomach and over her cotton covered breasts to her shoulders where he slid his fingers under the material of her shirt and pulled it off down her back. He dropped it to the floor behind her and kicked his own trousers off along with his shoes.

He kneeled down and began kissing and caressing her soft stomach. He became even more turned on by his discovery that his large hands could nearly circle her slim waist. He slid his hands around her and up to the clasp of her plain sensible bra. Eager to be rid of the garment, she pulled it off quickly and threw it over her shoulder to be forgotten.

Still kneeling, Draco moved his concentration to her newly uncovered breasts. He hadn't seen them from this angle before and he growled possessively as he moved to capture a pink nipple in his mouth. He began kissing, squeezing and stroking every inch of her exposed flesh. He was enjoying the panting and hissing sounds she was making until he felt her hands thread through his hair and turn his face up to look at her.

Her mouth hung open as she breathed and her face was stained pink from passion. He knew that the teasing had gone on long enough and that she was ready for more. _She needs more_, he thought as he started to stand. _She needs **me**_, he realized and was overwhelmed with masculine pride. They hadn't yet kissed so he was hungry to feel her lips on his own. He wanted to taste her desire.

As soon as he got to his feet he pulled her up against him and wrapped both arms around her body. He was kissing her before he even realized it. Her mouth was incredibly warm and soft and she tasted so sweet to his lust-crazed mind. He moved his hand up under her skirt and began tugging down her knickers. When they were half way down, they fell to the floor and she toed them off and kicked them aside.

Draco ran his hand up the back of her leg and she hitched her knee so he could pull her leg up around his waist. Her skin was so smooth and he slid his hand further up her thigh until he was gripping her right buttock.

She began rocking her hips and grinding her body into his. She could feel him pressing against her center and her kisses became frenzied and wild. One of her hands was squeezing his shoulder in an attempt to maintain balance. The other was behind his neck twisting locks of hair through her fingers.

Suddenly she broke the kiss and pushed his face back to look him in the eyes. She gave him an intense look that screamed, "What are you waiting for?"

With every remaining ounce of self control, he stopped moving completely and smirked at her. He wanted to hear her say it. He wanted her to beg for what only he could give her. He knew that she needed him. It was written all over her face. But he wanted to hear the little sex kitten in his arms to ask for him.

"Why'd you stop?" she bit out as she tried to pull him in again. She had expected him to "finish the job" when she paused their kissing, not taunt her.

_He is NOT going to leave me like this!_ Hermione screamed inside her head, worrying that he was just messing with her. She reached down between them and retrieved her wand from a skirt pocket. "You will finish what you started one way or another," she said pointing it at him. "You can either be an active participant or I can petrify you and satisfy myself that way," she finished eying his erection.

Draco was so turned on by her domineering threat that he growled and grabbed her around her bottom and hoisted her onto his hips. He waited only a moment to adjust himself through his boxers before he gave her what she wanted. Both teens gasped at the initial feeling of connection and wasted no time getting into the swing of things.

This encounter was different from the first time they were together. It was a lot louder and definitely more desperate. Both had been suppressing their urges for weeks and this reckless meeting in an open room was evidence to that. They were so far gone from reality, that neither seemed to realize that there were no doors to this hall of trophies. Anyone could happen by and witness their steamy sexcapade.

After twenty minutes of hard primal lovemaking, Hermione and Draco found themselves tangled in each others arms in the middle of the floor.

"That was even better than last time," Hermione breathed as she stretched her arms above her head and turned to look at her lover.

"Yeah, who knew you had it in you," Draco joked as he swung an arm around Hermione's hips and dragged her to straddle him.

"Hey! Who was it that kept switching positions so he could watch his reflection from different angles?" Hermione teased as she motioned to the reflective glass of the trophy cases. A few loose curls fell into her eyes and she reached back to tie her hair in a bun.

Draco savored the sight of her exposed breasts and reached up to touch one. "You really do have beautiful tits, Granger" he laughed as he squeezed a pert breast.

She made a face at his crass language and playfully batted his hand away.

"Oh, don't even try to act modest now," Draco smirked, "after all of those things you were saying before…_Oh Draco, don't stop! Give it to me! Harder!_" he mocked.

Hermione responded by seizing his nipple and twisting it hard.

"Ouch!" Draco snorted as he tore her hand off of his now swollen nipple. "Oh, you are going to get it!" he announced as he moved to tackle her.

At that moment, voices were heard coming from the corridor.

"Oh shit! Classes are out!" Draco whispered as he froze and let go of Hermione.

The pair quickly began searching the room for their discarded clothes. Hermione found her shirt, but realized quickly that it was ripped down the front.

"Look what you did to my shirt!" she whined. She put on the shirt and tried to magic it together, but it was a lost cause.

"Shut up!" Malfoy scolded as he slipped his wrinkled t-shirt over his head. A few moments later he had his trousers back on and was looking almost presentable.

"Reparo," he called over his shoulder, not even looking as the buttons flew back onto Hermione's shirt.

Satisfied, Hermione slipped on her shoes and grabbed her bra and socks. _These are non-essentials_, she thought as she balled them together and tried to stuff them into the small pocket of her skirt.

"Malfoy, where are my knickers?" she asked as she looked around questioningly.

Draco stopped smoothing his hair down and looked around distractedly. "Here," he said as he noticed a small ball of green cotton lying at his feet.

He was about to throw them to her when curiosity got the best of him._ Green, huh?_ He chuckled as he raised an eyebrow and held the garment up to get a better look. They were pretty ordinary in themselves, being green cotton briefs, but they had a little something that made Draco choke in disbelief. The front of the panties sported the Slytherin crest and said "SLYTHER-IN" in bold black lettering. He turned the panties around to examine the back and was even more shocked to see the words "SLYTHER-OUT" written on the back in the same black lettering.

"What the fuck is this?" Draco asked laughing in disbelief at her naughty knickers.

_Oh my God! I forgot I was wearing those!_ Hermione paled seeing exactly which pair of underwear he was inspecting. She mentally cursed Lavender Brown for having given her such an embarrassing birthday present. She had only kept the stupid things because they were so darn comfortable.

Hermione sputtered trying to come up with something to explain herself but Draco seemed to lose his patience and just threw the underwear to her with a superior smirk.

By this time students were noisily passing through the halls. Draco peered around the door frame and looked for an opening in the crowd where he could slip in unseen. Hermione came up behind hoping to look out as well.

"Stay back!" Draco scolded and stuck his arm out to thwart her. "I am going to leave first and you can leave after a few minutes, so no one will see us together."

The fog from the relapse had completely cleared both their heads by this point. Hermione looked at Draco and backed up wordlessly as she mentally relived what the two of them had just done. _Please don't let anyone see us together, _she silently pleaded. The school had finally stopped talking about her and Draco and she wasn't ready for them to start again.

Draco too was thinking about what happened, but in an entirely different light. He had reconciled his mind to having relapses and was extremely pleased to have had such a good shag as long as no one found out.

"I don't need to remind you to keep this to yourself do I?" Draco asked, all playfulness forgotten.

"Oh course not!" Hermione replied affronted. "I don't…" she started but was cut off by Draco.

"Because if my girlfriend finds out about this, I'm going to know it was you who told and you will not like the consequences" he added as he turned and casually walked out of the room.

Hermione made a face at his back and then finished straightening her appearance. She headed out of the room and stopped in the charms classroom to retrieve the items she left behind. Thankfully, the classroom was empty, so she grabbed her bag and robe and turned to go to the library.

Today was certainly turning into a fiasco and she didn't want to face her friends and explain why she had run out in the middle of class.

Her stomach turned as she remembered the lighthearted banter she and Draco had shared merely minutes ago.

_I guess I should probably stop at the hospital wing again_, she thought bitterly as she pulled on her robe and fastened it all the way up to her neck. She suddenly felt uncomfortably exposed and wanted to hide behind the heavy fabric.

_How did I let this happen?_ She wondered as she neared the large ominous doors of the hospital wing

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The series of events that led up to the unfortunate mutual relapse could be traced back to the day of the Slytherin-Ravenclaw quidditch match.

Hermione had awoken on a hard hospital wing cot to the sound of lively chatter. She opened her eyes and tried to sit up but was halted by a sharp pain in her abdomen.

"Look, she's awake!" called a voice she recognized as Ron's.

Suddenly a curtain was torn back to reveal Madame Pomfrey standing with both Ron and Harry. Ron was standing sideways and only peering at Hermione without turning his head.

_He's acting rather odd_, she noted as she scooted back and sat up in spite of the pain.

"Hey Hermione, how are you feeling?" Harry asked walking up to get a better look at her. "Your lip looks all better," he commented.

Ron and Madame Pomfrey were arguing about something but Pomfrey seemed to think it was a lost cause because she threw her arms up in defeat and came over to examine her newly awakened patient.

"How are you doing Miss Granger?" Pomfrey smiled tightly as she began poking and prodding the girl. "You're temperature is fine and most of the swelling has gone down." She handed Hermione a bone mending elixir. "Drink this. It will make you feel much better"

"What happened?" Hermione asked. All she could remember was running up to Malfoy and some Hufflepuff with her wand out. _Oh God! I hope I didn't attack her!_ She worried. She remembered how she was overcome with rage at seeing the girl with Malfoy. _Ugh!_ She thought. _I can't believe I would get so jealous over Malfoy!_ She felt sick at that thought.

"You're friends here brought you in with a fat lip and two broken ribs, but they wouldn't tell me how you got hurt!" Madame Pomfrey informed her. "Roll up you gown dear, I need to make sure the bones have reset," she continued as she moved to press on Hermione's sides.

"How does that feel?" she asked as she pressed around the affected area. "Any pain?"

"It's a little tender," Hermione muttered but she was too preoccupied with how she got to the hospital wing to worry about a little pain. She knew better than to grill the boys for information in front of Madame Pomfrey, so she kept quiet and tried to remember the day.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened?" Pomfrey asked Hermione while shooting an irritated look at the boys.

"Um, I think I fell down at the match," she replied, "but I don't really remember."

Pomfrey looked like she didn't buy the excuse, but didn't say anything about it.

"I see," she began, "well you are free to go now. Just take it easy for the rest of the day," she said as she finished prodding Hermione and turned to Ron. "Here is some bruise-healing paste. If you won't let me heal you, do it yourself!" With that she swept out of the room.

"What bruise?" Hermione asked perplexed.

Ron turned to reveal a large swollen black eye.

"Oh Ron! What happened?" Hermione gasped and imagined a scenario in which she _had_ attacked the Hufflepuff and Ron was forced to fight off an angry Malfoy.

"You mean you really don't remember?" he grinned slyly.

"No! What happened to you eye?" she asked adamantly.

"You punched me in the face!" he announced proudly. Both he and Harry burst out laughing at the shocked look on her face.

"You guys are lying," she said pointing at them accusingly.

"Nope, you were all 'relapsy' and you tried to attack Malfoy's girlfriend, so we stopped you and you freaked out!" Ron declared.

"Yeah, we tackled you and tried to hold you down, but you kept kicking and screaming. You punched Ron, pulled away and ran right into a goal post. You busted your lip and broke two ribs," Harry recounted.

"I was going to let Pomfrey heal my face, but I wanted to show you first!" Ron laughed.

"Oh, my God!" Hermione gasped, "I am so sorry!" She moved to get out of bed but winced at the quick movement.

"It's okay, Hermione," Ron said, "It's not me you should be worried about anyway. You should worry about all of the kids you tripped and hexed on your way down to the field," he joked unsympathetically.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Hermione said. "Everyone is going to think I am absolutely crazy! How many people saw me fighting you guys?" she wanted to know.

"Pretty much everyone," Harry said. "But don't worry, they all think you were just mad at Malfoy for cheating on you. Most people feel sorry for you actually."

"Oh, that's just fantastic" she grumped. "If it isn't one thing, it's another."

Hermione pulled herself out of the bed, gathered up her clothes and told the boys to meet her outside.

_My life sucks_, she thought.

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The next couple of days were pretty quiet around Hogwarts. The consensus was that Draco and Hermione had suffered a break up and gone their separate ways. Both were glad that their names were no longer linked.

The following Thursday, Draco and Sienna were sitting together in the Slytherin common room. It was just after lunch and the pair were killing some time before their afternoon classes.

"I hate that we can never be alone," Draco complained as he took off his school sweater to reveal a white under shirt. Hogwarts was not the ideal setting for romance. With curfew and limited privacy, there wasn't much for a young couple to do together.

"Yeah," Sienna said noncommittally.

Draco noticed her tone and rolled his eyes. She was getting on his nerves a little with her resistance to go any farther than kissing. He knew she was inexperienced and shy, but he'd never had a problem getting girls to "loosen up" before. He thought she was secretly thankful that they hardly ever got to be alone. That way she could avoid the whole situation.

"Will you look over my Transfiguration essay?" Sienna asked smiling. It seemed she was oblivious to Draco's annoyance.

"Of course," he said trying to act normal. It wouldn't help his cause to piss her off. As she leaned down and began rummaging through her bag, Draco made eye contact with the only other kids in the room.

"Get the fuck out!" he mouthed at the three fourth year boys. They looked insulted but complied nonetheless.

Sienna handed him the essay and he quickly read it over, making a few notes of correction.

To say he was sexually frustrated would be an understatement. He hadn't gotten any since Granger and that was over a month ago. Pretending to be Granger's boyfriend had really put a damper on his sex life, and now that he had a real girlfriend, he was ready to end his self inflicted dry spell.

Draco handed back the essay and swung his arm over Sienna's shoulders. "Pretty good," he commented and pulled her in closer.

The two chatted for a few minutes until Draco made his move, He knew he would have to start slow so he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her neck. He was surprised when she laughed and turned towards him instead of pulling away.

She allowed him to kiss her and after she seemed comfortable with that, he began to pull her onto his lap. He figured if he could get her used to touching him, she would let herself go a little more.

"Wait," she said as she felt his arms drawing her in.

"What?" he asked. _She won't even sit on my lap? Come on!_

"What's wrong?" he asked loosening his grip around her waist.

"Nothing, I just…I think I should go," she stated. "I need to stop by my room before class," she amended after seeing his disappointed look.

"Okay," he huffed, letting go of her completely and standing. "I guess I'll see you later then," he said as he grabbed her hand to help her up. He walked her to the door and kissed her as she left.

"Bye Draco," she said with an unsure expression. She could tell that he wasn't pleased.

Draco watched the stone wall close behind her and laid back down on the couch. He still had fifteen minutes before Charms so he closed his eyes to relax. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

Almost instantly, he began having a dream about Sienna. He dreamt that they were in his room at home and she was sitting on his bed in her school uniform. He walked up to her and began undressing her perfect body.

Once she was stripped down to her undergarments, he laid her back onto the bed and began caressing her soft skin. He moved down to her knees and began kissing them. He pushed his hands upwards and bent her left leg so he could nibble on the inside of her thigh. The feeling of her burning skin under his lips was extremely arousing. He continued his quest up her responsive body as he moved to hover over her stomach. He dipped his tongue into her belly button and smiled at her sharp intake of breath. He was excited that she was actually letting him pleasure her.

He moved up to examine her breasts which were spilling out of the satin material which was trying to contain them. He caught them both in his hands and was about to free them from their restraints when he felt her hands circle around his head and pull him up for a kiss. By this time, he was aching with anticipation. He longed to take her.

He allowed her to pull him up and their lips met in a desperate kiss. He closed his eyes and breathed her in while moving his right hand to her cheek. He coiled a strand of her hair around his fingers and was surprised by the feel of it. It was longer and coarser than he remembered. He opened his eyes and was shocked to see, not Sienna staring back at him, but Hermione.

At first he pulled away, both heart and mind racing.

"When did you get here?" he asked confused.

"What do you mean?" she laughed. "It was me all along."

"Oh," he replied as he moved back in to kiss her. Somehow knowing he was going to be with Hermione again was even sexier than being with Sienna. He began kissing her harder and sliding his hands over her body down towards her underwear. He hooked his thumbs under the elastic band and began pulling them down.

"Draco," she breathed as she lifted her hips for him.

"Draco!" a male voice cut into his dream.

Draco looked up at Hermione questioningly. _Who said that?_ he wondered, but he didn't really care as long as he got to keep touching Hermione.

"DRACO! Man wake the fuck up!"

Draco was startled awake to find Blaise Zabini staring down at him.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class right now?" the boy asked.

Draco couldn't hear him though through the thick fog that was clouding his mind. His breathing was erratic and his pulse was still racing. He instinctively moved to cover the bulge in his pants. He looked at the clock on the wall and noticed that class had already started. _Granger is in Charms right now_, he thought as he got up and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Blaise called after him, but Draco paid no notice.

_Must find Granger!_ he chanted as he headed up to the third floor.

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Hermione sat in class staring off into space. Charms was her easiest class, so it was very hard for her to keep her mind focused. Her eyes began to wander and they fell onto the empty seat in which Malfoy normally sat.

_I wonder where he is_, she thought idly. She had seen him earlier at lunch and it wasn't like him to skip class. _He's probably off with his girlfriend, _she decided. She remembered how the little waif had hung all over him at the quidditch match. _I hate that everyone thinks he dumped me for her_, she thought. _She is such a bimbo_.

She knew she sounded jealous, but she didn't care. She _was_ a little jealous. She had gotten used to being the special one and even though she would never admit it, she sort of liked the attention from Malfoy. She still didn't fancy him, but no other guy had treated her like that before. And even though it was all an act, a small part of her wished that he actually did feel that way about her. It would have been nice to have lost her virginity to a guy that was head over heels for her.

She blushed as she remembered the day that she lost her virginity. It had been so different than she had expected. She thought her first time was going to be slow and sensual but it was actually hot and passionate. Suddenly she started to feel excited. She knew this feeling from the day at the quidditch match. _Woah, calm down_, she thought. The last thing she wanted was to have another relapse. She moved her gaze up to Flitwick and tried to focus on his lecture. If anything could keep her mind off of Malfoy, it was school.

"…that's why this charm has not yet been approved by the ministry. Clinical trials are expected to continue until such a time when it is proven to prevent pregnancy even hours after the spell is cast..."

_Pregnancy…sex…Malfoy_, her mind jumped right back to him. _Ugh! Flitwick, you are not helping_. She felt herself losing more and more control. The more she tried to avoid thinking of Malfoy, the more her mind kept envisioning his naked body. _I have to get out of here!_ She thought frantically.

"Professor Flitwick, can I be excused?" she interrupted suddenly.

"I'm sorry Miss Granger, but you know the rules. You will have to wait until the end of class," he said as he turned to write something on the board.

_Damn you, Flitwick!_ She thought as she began fanning herself and unbuttoning her robe. It was all of a sudden unbearably hot in the room. She tried to focus her mind on the book in front of her. She turned to one of the few remaining chapters that she had not yet read. It was on the more complex variations of vanishing charms. The first page talked about how apparating is a newer form of one of the oldest types of vanishing charms. _I wish I could apparate into Malfoy's room right now_, she thought and then slapped herself in the face for thinking such and embarrassing thought. A few of the students next to her gave her strange looks and she realized that she must look pretty strange all red and sweaty and slapping herself. She took her robe off and threw it onto her bag.

This gradual fall into relapse continued for Hermione until all she could see was Malfoy. Whether she closed her eyes or held them open, he was there. _I have to go find him! _She decided as she got up and headed for the door.

"Miss Granger, Where are you going?" Flitwick called as he watched his top student run out of the room. "Miss Granger!"

But it was no use. She was already out in the hall racing towards the dungeons.

_He better be down there! _she thought as she began to pass the trophy room. Suddenly hands grabbed her and pulled her inside.

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Hermione stood outside of the hospital wing. She hadn't remembered walking there because she had been reliving the past week in her mind. She took a few large breaths and mentally prepared herself to once again face the mediwitch. _This is so unfair_, she complained as she took a deep breath and went inside.

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**Notice of Detention**

_Mr. Draco Malfoy _**is to report to **_Professor Flitwick _**in room**_ the 7th year Charms classroom_** at **_8:00 tonight _.

**This detention is in response to **_an unexcused absence from Charms on 3/12/1998._

**Issued by**

_Prof. F. Flitwick­­­­­­­_

"Heh," Draco laughed as he read the notice an owl had just dropped in his lap, "It was worth it."


	9. Ch 9 Mind Wipe

**Ch 9 Mind Wipe**

"Hey Hermione," Harry grinned as he watched her try to slip into the common room unnoticed. "I heard you ran out in the middle of Charms today. Any particular reason?" He was laughing now. He had heard the story from her surprised classmates and was pretty sure he knew what had happened.

"It's not funny, Harry!" she grumbled, moving her way into the room and collapsing on the couch next to him. "You try sitting through class when all you can think about is how much you want to..." she stopped abruptly and blushed.

"How much you want to what?" he asked, sporting an extremely Malfoy-worthy smirk.

"Oh, nothing!" she snapped exasperated. "Can we just talk about something else?"

"No, no. I'm sorry. That wasn't very nice of me. I'll behave," Harry said tossing an arm around her shoulders. "Now, what happened today?" he asked.

"You know what happened. The potion got the best of me and I had to leave class to go find Malfoy," she said in a defeated voice.

"Did you find him?" Harry asked tentatively. He could already tell her answer from the shamed look on her face.

"Yes," she murmured.

"Oh, well that's good at least," he stumbled over his words. _Was that good?_

"Good? How, on any realm of existence, would that be good?" she asked angrily.

"Well," he paused, "it satisfied your relapse, I expect. And you didn't have to traipse around crazed for too long." He remembered how she'd acted at the quidditch match. "Also, I haven't heard about this from anyone else, so it seems no one knows but us," he concluded. He was quiet after that, trying to gauge her reaction.

"I suppose you're right," she admitted after a while. "It could have been a lot worse." She pictured what would have happened if she hadn't been able to find Malfoy; or worse, if someone had seen what they'd been up to in the trophy room.

"This has to stop!" she announced suddenly. "I have to get Malfoy to take that Mind Wipe with me. It's too bad it is so complicated. I'll have to brew it over the holidays so I can do it properly," she said. She wasn't paying attention to Harry anymore and was working out a solution her head. "Yes, it takes a long time to get right and a lot of attention. I won't be able to do it while I have classes," she muttered.

"Eh, Hermione," Harry interrupted. "Don't you think you should brew the potion before Christmas break?" he asked.

"Why do say that?"

"Because, what happens if you are at home and you have a relapse? You won't be able to find Malfoy and you could hurt someone. Not to mention that you live in a muggle neighborhood and you could easily use magic in front of one of them."

"Oh you're right!" Hermione exclaimed. "I hadn't even thought about that! I guess I'll have to start working on it sooner than I planned." She stood up and headed towards the door. "I need to do some more research," she explained as she left through the portrait hole.

"I'll see you later then?" Harry called after her. _What a spaz, _he thought.

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Hermione marched purposefully up to the library and found the book that contained the directions for the potion. In her previous research, she'd discovered several variations of the Mind Wipe and chosen the one with the most readily available ingredients. With her new time constraints, she was going to have to pick one of the more exotic varieties.

After combing the pages and comparing the different types Hermione settled on one that was both manageable and carried a shorter brewing time. The only downfall was that it required the addition of an extremely rare accelerant, basilisk scales. On her own, they would be nearly impossible to find, but she knew that she had seen some in Snape's personal stores. _I'll just have to break in there and get them_ she concluded. _It's not like I haven't done it before. _

Hermione waited until half past six before heading down to the potions classroom. She assumed everyone would be in the Great Hall having dinner, but still kept her guard up. She gripped her wand tightly in her hand and wound through the maze of dungeons. Her first instinct had been to do this at night, but all the classrooms would be locked at curfew and Snape had a reputation for securing his room with more complex spells than a simple "Alohamora," could handle.

She arrived at the door and pressed her ear up to it to make sure it was empty before entering. Hearing nothing, she pulled the door open a crack and slipped inside letting it close silently behind her.

"And what do you think you're doing?" came the smooth voice of Professor Snape.

_Shit, shit, shit!_ Hermione froze in place, her back to the potions master. He must have been at his desk. _Why didn't I notice him?_ She prepared to face him, her explanation on the tip of her tongue. _I misplaced my book and I thought I might have left it here_, she rehearsed.

"Ten points from Hufflepuff!" he declared.

_Hufflepuff? _She wondered as she turned around. She was shocked to find that although he was at his desk, he was sound asleep. His head rested on a stack of what appeared to be student parchments. A candle stood burnt to the nub on the edge of his desk.

"Insufferable mental-midgets," he mumbled as he scratched is nose and placed his thumb in his mouth.

_Snape talks in his sleep?_ She wondered, her breathing beginning to return to normal.

_Snape sucks his thumb?_ She began to laugh, only just managing to hold it back. _If only I had a camera!_ She silently wished and almost considered 'accio-ing' hers, but decided that could draw unwanted attention. She concentrated very hard on taking a mental picture. _I am going to have to get a pensieve for this_, she thought. Harry and Ron would love to see it.

Thinking quickly, she cast a sleeping spell on him. She couldn't risk him waking up right now. _That will buy me at least 20 minutes,_ she estimated as she quickly turned towards the potions stores.

There was no reason to be quiet anymore, Snape was here and debilitated. She lit her wand and confidently walked up to the door aiming it at the lock. Curiously, she decided to try opening it by hand first, and to her surprise, it swung open. _I guess Snape didn't get a chance to lock it yet_, she thought as she hurried inside and gathered the scales. _I'm a little low on asphodel, belladonna, and hellebore too_, she laughed as she collected the other ingredients. She didn't mind stealing from Snape. He was such an utter bastard.

On her way out of the classroom, she considered ending his suspended sleep but decided against it. She didn't care if the spell lasted all night. _Someone will find him eventually_, she thought as she strolled up the corridor towards the Great Hall. _I might even be able to catch the end of dinner_; she cackled evilly and congratulated herself on a job well done.

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Hermione spent the next three days working on the potion. She was surprised at how easily it all came together. On Sunday morning she awoke early and put the finishing touches on the brew. Today was going to be a day that would change her life. She would no longer have to live in fear of becoming aroused and having irresponsible sex with a near-stranger.

She headed down to breakfast feeling a little apprehensive. She knew she wanted to stop the relapses, but at the cost of suppressing some of her memories? It was weird to think that tomorrow she wouldn't remember worrying about this. The potion was very particular and would erase any memory that linked to the one she was trying to forget. If the potion worked correctly, not only would she forget the act itself but also everything related to it. Every conversation she'd had about it, her hospital visits, her detention…everything would be gone. This was a huge commitment and she wondered if she really wanted to do it.

She thought about Malfoy. Would he want this? She wondered if she should tell him all the facts and let him decide for himself. _Who am I kidding?_ She thought. _The less time I give him, the more likely he'll be to agree_. If she gave him days to think about it, he would probably chicken out.

When she reached the Great Hall, she was surprised to see Ron and Harry already having breakfast.

"What are you two doing up so early on a Sunday?" she asked seating herself next to Ron.

"We have quidditch practice at ten," Harry explained. "What are your plans for the day?" Both boys turned their eyes to her expectantly.

"I'm going to get Malfoy to take that potion with me today," she said resignedly.

"Oh really?" Ron laughed. "And how are you going to do that?"

"Well, I am going to ambush him after his prefect duties and make him take it with me. I figure, if he says no, I'll just bait him into it by asking if his refusal is due to some sort of hidden infatuation. He'll be sure to agree just to prove me wrong," she announced assuredly. Obviously, she had spent some time on this.

"Good luck with that," Ron snorted as he shoveled in another forkful of his breakfast. The trio fell into a comfortable silence after that; each lost in their own thoughts.

"There's something I need from the two of you," Hermione stated unexpectedly.

"Sure, what is it?" Harry agreed to the open ended request.

"Well, it's a little odd…but I need you to make a Wizard's Oath to never bring up what happened with me and Malfoy. You can't even mention anything relating to it either, unless, for some reason, I remember and bring it up myself," she said, giving both boys a meaningful stare. "This is extremely important to the success of the potion. Since I won't remember anything happening with Malfoy, it will be very confusing if either of you mention it," she continued.

"Hmm, I suppose we could do that," Harry started, "right Ron?" He didn't like the sound of this. Wizards' Oaths were permanently binding and usually only caused more bad than good. He trusted Hermione, but he was worried that someday she might want to know what happened to her and why there were gaps in her memory. If he took a Wizard's Oath now, he wouldn't be able to help her later.

"Yeah mate, I guess so," Ron answered. It seemed he was a little wary himself. "Are you sure this is a good idea Hermione?"

Harry was relieved that Ron had spared him the trouble of asking Hermione this himself.

"Of course, it's a good idea. I can't go around shagging Malfoy for the rest of my life," both boys cringed at the image, "and since this is the only way to make the relapses stop, I have to do what I have to do," she huffed ignoring their twin grimaces. "Honestly, it's not even that big of a deal. I'll only be forgetting a few choice events and thoughts. It's not like it will make that much of a difference," she smiled now.

Her confidence convinced the boys and they both reluctantly agreed to take the oath. They recited their promise and touched their wands to hers, sealing the deal.

"Alright well, we have to get a move on," Harry said standing up. "Good luck today, Hermione!" He circled towards the door and started walking away.

Ron stood up to follow but stopped suddenly. "Be careful, Hermione," he said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders from behind and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you later," he whispered as he turned and followed Harry out of the hall.

_What's gotten into him?_ She wondered as she watched his retreating back. Ron hadn't so much as hugged her since their failed attempt at dating and here he was kissing her? This was really strange. _Maybe this potion thing is more dangerous than I thought. _

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Hermione spent the rest of the morning in her room bottling the potion and reading over the instructions on proper dosage. At two o' clock Hermione cleaned up all evidence of the potion and hid the book under a large stack of others that needed to be returned to the library. She didn't need any reminders later that could cause her to investigate. She idly wondered if Malfoy would have anything around that needed to be hidden before _he_ took the potion. After all, she wasn't even giving him a chance to tell his friends never to bring her up again. _I don't think that will be a problem,_ she decided. It didn't seem like his friends would bring her up anyway since he had a new girlfriend. It was better if he just forgot about her abruptly. That way no one would even think to mention her again.

After coming to these conclusions, she made her way down to the dungeons. She had checked the prefects schedule earlier and learned that Malfoy was assigned to tutoring 1st years in the library until 2:15. That gave her just enough time to sneak into one of the empty rooms near the Slytherin entrance and wait.

At 2:25, Hermione was starting to get impatient. _Where is he?_ She wondered, her confidence waning. _I should have brought the Marauder's Map_, she thought kicking herself for her foolishness.

Just then, the sound of footsteps rang loudly in the stone corridor. She peeked through the crack in the door and saw it was Malfoy and thankfully, he was alone. He was carrying a handful of books and wearing a bored expression. Hermione paused for a moment watching him. It wasn't often that she got to see how he acted when he was alone. He stopped suddenly and Hermione sucked in a surprised breath. _Can he see me? _she worried, but he just bent down to tie his loose shoe laces. He began whistling and Hermione smiled. He had never looked so _real_ before.

All too quickly, he was back on his feet and heading right past her door. Hermione swallowed the dry lump in her throat and leapt out of the room in front oh him.

"Get in here!" she ordered as she grabbed his arm and began pulling him to the empty room. She hadn't thought of how she was going to ambush him, and was a little embarrassed by the desperate sound of her voice.

"Wow Granger, so soon?" he smirked, allowing her to drag him along. "Well, okay," he said as he dropped his books on a desk and began unbuttoning his shirt.

"What? Malfoy, no!" Hermione blushed realizing his meaning as she pulled his hands away from his collar. "This isn't like that!" she snapped angrily. She was more mad at herself for getting into this awkward situation than at him. Of course he would think she wanted sex. Why else would she haul him in here?

"Well, if you don't want to fuck, what do you want?" he asked impatiently. Clearly he didn't want to waste anymore of his time talking to her if he wasn't going to get laid.

"Ugh," Hermione scoffed, disgusted by his language. "It just so happens that I've found a solution to our problem," she stated, retrieving two potions vials from her bag. "It's a potion that will get rid of the memories of our…erm…relations, and in so doing, eliminating the relapses," she explained uncomfortably.

"Relations?" Draco chuckled. He was obviously enjoying her embarrassment. "And how does this potion work?" he wanted to know.

"Well, it's simple really. We both have to remember all of the events that we want to forget and then concentrate on them before taking the potion. After ingesting it, we will have half an hour to get somewhere safe before we temporarily lose consciousness. Once we wake up, seemingly from a nap, we will be cured. We won't even remember having this conversation," she explained as calmly as she could. It was strange being this close to Malfoy without being in the midst of a relapse.

"And why would I want to do that?" he asked smirking again. "Maybe I like those memories. Maybe I keep them safely secured in my Spank-Bank ready to use anytime I need them," he laughed, leaning in to her. "Maybe I like the prospect of future... 'relations'," he whispered and let his fingers brush against her cheek.

Hermione stared into his clear pale eyes and felt that maybe she too liked that particular prospect.

"But then again," he said turning away from her and laughing loudly. "I don't need anymore horribly embarrassing public-displays-of-affection towards you. It's best to take care of this now. I mean, who knows what could happen after Hogwarts. I can't be running off to bed you any time I get a hard-on."

"Yes, that's exactly why we need to take this potion," Hermione ground out, embarrassed by her reaction to his touch.

"How about just one more shag, for old time's sake?" he asked turning around to face her. "We won't remember it anyway, so why not?"

"Malfoy, no," Hermione answered quickly. He was making her very nervous and she knew she needed to get this over with as soon as possible. It was already taking all of her self control to not give in. "Let's just take the potion and be done with it," she mumbled handing him a vile and stepping away.

"Okay, just be quiet and concentrate on what you need to forget. Remember to include conversations you've had about it, detentions…everything," she ordered as she closed her eyes and began to think.

Malfoy rolled his eyes but sat down on a desk and complied. His mind jumped quickly to that first day in the Great Hall. He remembered how strange the sensation of longing had seemed at the time. Now it was almost second nature. He remembered kissing her in front of everyone and then carrying her down to the invisible stables behind the greenhouses.

Hermione was already past that first experience and was thinking about the awkward hospital visit that followed. She was glad that she wouldn't have to visit there anytime soon.

Malfoy was remembering the fight he'd had that same day with Weasley and how surprised he'd been that Ron hadn't attacked him.

Soon, both teens were thinking about the most recent rendezvous they'd shared only a few days ago. Hermione started breathing heavily as she remembered the relief she'd felt when he'd taken her. Malfoy was suffering from a similar reaction and was itching to stand up and recreate the scene in his mind.

Surprisingly, it wasn't Malfoy that made the first move. Before he'd even had a chance to do so, Hermione was straddling his lap, kissing him. He wrapped both of his arms around her and stood up shifting her around, so that he was standing in between her legs while she sat on the desk.

Her hands flew to his shirt, where she began undoing the buttons that he had started earlier.

"We can't forget to take the potion after this," Hermione breathed as she continued to undress him.

_The potion_, Malfoy thought suddenly, realizing it was still gripped in his right hand. He stared at it as he thought of all the reasons that he needed to take it. He saw his father's disapproving eyes, his girlfriend's heartbroken face, and his own future happiness at stake.

"Fuck it," he said in a moment of unintentional clarity as he pulled away from Hermione and downed the potion in one swallow. He handed her the empty vial and wiped his mouth on his sleeve before leaving the room.

Hermione sat dazed for a few moments before she too drank her potion and headed up to her room.

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**Thanks for the reviews and for sticking with my story!**


	10. Ch 10 BYNTC

**Ch 10 Boring yet Necessary Transition Chapter**

Draco lay on his bed in that muddled state between dreams and reality. A pleasant vibrating sensation warmed his stomach and a satisfied grin crawled onto his lips. He moved to stretch his arms above his head as consciousness threatened to pull him from the comforts of sleep and he felt two sharp jabs dig into his stomach. He was instantly awake, sitting upright and blinking the tired haze from his eyes.

He sought out the cause of his distress and discovered it was none other than the indignant ball of brown fur now standing next to him on the bed. "Atlas! You miserable old sod," he chuckled at the fat familiar. "You're a very bad kitty," he scolded as he scratched the cat's soft ears and maneuvered it off the bed. It was a well known fact that Draco had a soft spot for the old cat Crabbe had adopted two years prior. The cat had been a menace at first, leaving fur balls all around and sharpening his claws on Draco's favorite dragon hide boots, but it didn't take long before Atlas had settled down and became a welcome addition to the Slytherin boys' dormitory. Atlas was a lot like Draco and the two got along swimmingly (especially after the cat decided Draco was his favorite and completely snubbed everyone else).

Draco stood up from the bed and began to walk towards the door. His legs abruptly became weak and he stumbled to catch his balance on one of the bedposts. A rush of icy pain washed over his entire body and settled in his head. It felt like his brain was freezing in his skull. _What's wrong with me?_ he wondered, as he sunk to the floor, letting the pain take control of his movements. He laid his head on the thick rug and curled his legs up under his body. _I am going to die!_ he panicked. He had never had a headache, or any ache for that matter, this excruciating before and he actually began to fear for his life.

Gathering all the strength he could, Draco lifted himself onto his hands and knees and began to crawl towards the door. He was not going to just lay here and let death claim him; he was going to get help!

An icy tentacle coiled around his spine and squeezed causing him to stop at the foot of the door and wait for some kind of break from the crippling pain. Feeling the energy leave his body, Draco eyed the heavy oak door in front of him. Its lock was in place and sealed tight and he didn't have the strength to reach up for the knob so he pulled out his wand and blasted the door off of its hinges. He shielded his eyes from the splintering wood and dragged his weak body out of the room.

Once at the stairs, he peered down into the common room hoping to find someone to help him. No one seemed to be home. _Since when can you blast away an entire door and not draw a crowd? _he screamed in his mind.

The freezing sensation was not easing up and Draco began to feel nauseous. He eyed the stairs with contempt and began slithering down them on his belly. There was no way he could have walked down, he could hardly stand. He realized that he must look completely crazy blasting doors and creeping down the stairs, but he was in far too much pain to be embarrassed. He would have called out for help but he didn't think anyone would hear his weak voice.

Once down in the common room, he scanned it for occupants. "Where the fuck is everyone?" he cried out and then winced at the sharp stab of pain that followed.

"Mind your language, young man," came the voice of a nearby painting of Sarah the Stingy, a notable Slytherin.

"Sarah!" Draco shouted noticing the opportunity for help. "Go get Snape! It's an emergency," he rasped and tried to crawl up onto a nearby couch.

Sarah sniffed her nose at him and left her painting grumbling. "What do I look like, Snape's secretary?"

Relief flooded his mind. _Snape's coming!_ He thought as he closed his eyes and rolled onto his back forgetting about the couch altogether. He had exhausted most of his energy in his pursuit for help and he no longer felt able to even hold up his head.

Within five minutes Snape swept into the Slytherin common room scowl in place. He hated being disturbed on a Sunday for silly student complaints. He had just been putting the finishing touches on a chapter for his newest edition of "Painfully Perplexing and Paradoxical Potions" when Sarah had stormed into a painting of a starlit desert and began complaining about a bossy foul mouthed blonde that was whining on the floor in Slytherin. He figured it was Malfoy based on the accurate description. And he hoped he didn't have to deal with a teenage boy going out of his mind with a lusty relapse.

What he found was not at all what he expected. His favorite student lay on his back at an awkward angle. _Something must really be wrong for him to be rolling around on the floor in such expensive clothes, _Snape thought. He'd known Malfoy for 18 years and was yet to see the boy so much as sit in a dusty chair without making a fuss.

"Draco," Snape called as he approached the youth. Malfoy blinked open his eyes but made no attempt to get up. "What's happened?" Snape asked as he leaned down and checked the boy's pulse. He expected it to be weak, but it was racing. "Where are you injured?" he asked after looking over the boy and seeing nothing outwardly wrong.

Draco didn't answer but he just pointed to his head and cringed.

"Your head hurts?" Snape asked. "Did you fall?" Draco simply shook his head and groaned aloud. By this point Snape was starting to get frustrated. "Answer me, boy!" he ordered and cast an "enervate" on him not to wake him, but to liven him up.

Draco seemed to recover a little because he minutely turned his head and began talking. "I don't know what's wrong, but I have a terrible headache," Draco said softly, closing his eyes and rolling over to his side. "It feels like my head is frozen."

Snape placed his wand on Draco's forehead and whispered an incantation. "Health: Good, Temperature: Normal" appeared in small red lettering and then faded away. _What is going on here?_ Snape wondered. Perhaps Malfoy was suffering from a run of the mill migraine? But he'd said his head felt frozen. Suddenly, a light flicked on in Snape's head.

"Draco, I need you to concentrate," he requested turning the boy's face to look at him, "What did you do earlier today?"

"Nothing," Draco said quickly becoming defensive. "I haven't done any Tripping Tonic if that's what you're asking," he grunted and reached up for a throw pillow. "I haven't done that since I got caught."

"No, no, I'm not talking about drugs! I am talking about your day. I just want to know what you did before you began to feel ill." Snape was quickly losing patience with the teen.

"I don't know. I just woke up from a nap and felt like shit," he paused for a moment and sucked in a breath as frozen needles began to prick his temples.

"And before you went to sleep, what did you do?" Snape prompted.

"I'm not sure…I had breakfast in the Great Hall, I went to tutoring in the library, I stopped by Hufflepuff to see Sienna, but she wasn't home, so I came down to my room I think…where I must have fallen asleep. Actually, I can't really remember anything after I left Hufflepuff. I think I came straight here, but I'm not sure," Draco was starting to get confused. _What did I do today_?

Snape seemed satisfied with his answer because he nodded and said, "I see," as he began to help Draco up onto the couch. "Sit here for a moment. I think I have something in my lab that will help you." He turned to leave the room but paused when he heard Draco groan and slam his head onto the nearest armrest. "Relax," he whispered as he cast a calming spell that forced the target into a painless suspension.

Snape hurried to his lab and found a small vile of extra-strength pain reliever. He turned to his bookcase and took out an encyclopedia of mind-altering potions. He found the entry on the Mind Wipe and read it over quickly. Just as he suspected, Draco was exhibiting all of the side effects of the potion.

"The subject will complain of an intense 'freezing' sensation that can be easily remedied by adding a pinch of lovage to an ordinary pain reliever. The lovage will cause the brain to swell slightly, stimulating the damaged neurons."

Snape prepared the prescribed concoction and headed back to Slytherin. He had a feeling that Ms. Granger had probably prepared this potion and wondered briefly if he should send up a headache potion for her as well. _No, that would be a little suspicious_, he decided as he faced a blank stone wall. "Let me in or I'll kill your puppy," he mumbled embarrassed. That was the last time he would ever let a student pick the password.

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Meanwhile in the Gryffindor tower, Hermione was just waking up from a nap as well. She rolled over and glanced at the clock. _5:15? In the morning or night? _ She wondered as she got out of bed and threw a robe on over her pajamas. _It must be night because I am the only one up here._ She noted as she headed for the door.

Suddenly she felt extremely faint as a wash of ice cold slammed into her like a wrecking ball. She fell back onto the nearest bed and writhed in pain. Most of the freezing receded and settled into her head where it pulsed and contracted with agonizing sharpness. _What's happening to me?_ she wondered as she placed her hands on her head to feel the temperature. She was sure that it would be ice cold, but it felt as warm as it normally would.

"Harry!" she called out and then regretted it as icy fingers squeezed her brain. She angled her wand toward the cracked door and sent red sparks flying out. She hoped someone would see them and come help her. _I'm dying_! She thought as she placed her wand to her temple and cast a warming charm in an attempt to warm her brain.

"Hermione?" she heard from somewhere below. "Are you okay?" came the worried voice of Harry Potter. She knew she couldn't yell again so she held her wand up to her throat and whispered, "Sonorous". Instantly her voice was amplified and she answered her friend.

"No Harry, I'm going to die! I need Madame Pomfrey!" she said glad that she had the luxury of magic.

"What?" Harry called confused and scared. Hermione could hear the sound of Harry trying to run up the stairs to her room and the wailing siren go off, followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground. _Stupid fucking staircase!_ She needed help and Harry couldn't do it because he was a boy.

A few minutes past and Harry flew into the room on his broom. The earsplitting siren resumed alerting anyone who could hear that a boy was in the girl's dorm but Harry didn't care. His friend needed him and that was all that mattered. "Hermione!" He called, spotting her on a bed and rushing to her side. "What's wrong?"

"My head is frozen and I think I'm going to die!" she hissed.

Harry reached out and felt her forehead. It felt normal. "Hermione, your head feels fine. Are you sure it's not a just a headache?" He had a suspicion that this was probably a byproduct of the Mind Wipe potion she said she was going to take.

"No!" she shouted and then dry-heaved from the pain.

Harry paled and looked around the room. Surely Hermione would have planned for this before she took the potion. He noticed a small vial of headache potion sitting on her nightstand and accio-ed it over. There were no other medicines sitting out, so she must have put placed it there for this purpose. He scooped her up and rested her shoulders against him. "Drink this," he said as he uncorked the bottle and tipped it up to her lips.

She swallowed the liquid without question hoping for some kind of relief. Almost instantly she felt the squeezing release and her head start to warm up. _Wow, this works fast!_ She thought happily as she felt water melting and trickling down her neck. She placed her fingers behind her head expecting to feel a pool of water, but was surprised that her hair was dry.

"Mr. Potter! What is the meaning of this?" came the angry voice of Professor McGonagall from the open doorway.

Harry whipped his head around and blushed as he realized he was in a very compromising position. He was in a bed with his arms wrapped around a tired and panting Hermione. "Professor!" he gasped surprised as he jumped out of the bed. "I can explain."

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Two hours later, Harry, Hermione and Ron were seated in the Great Hall having dinner.

"I can't believe McGonagall thought you two were shagging!" Ron laughed as he poured himself a glass of water.

"Ron! She did not think _that_," Hermione choked as she looked around embarrassedly. "She was just mad that he was in the girls' dorm."

"Sure, keep telling yourself that," quipped Ron as he winked at Harry. Giving Hermione a hard time for her prudery was always a fun pastime. "What must she think of you?"

"Alright, give it a rest Ron," Harry said smiling. "She obviously believed us because she didn't give me detention!"

"That's right," Hermione nodded and a silence fell over the group. "I wonder what came over me," Hermione said after a while. "I must be getting sick or something."

"Don't you think it had something to do with that Po...the puuuhh…the po..po.."

"Ron what has gotten into you tonight?" Hermione asked confused.

Harry shot Ron a warning glance and Ron suddenly remembered. _Oh right, the oath._

"Er, nothing Hermione, sorry," he said and then looked at Harry again, who was now rolling his eyes. "I'm just glad that you are feeling better."

"Yeah me too," said Hermione not noticing the boys' back and forth glances. "Well, I am off to the library. I took such a long nap this afternoon that I didn't finish my homework!" she announced as she got up and pranced out of the hall.

"So, I guess the potion worked," Ron said amazed after Hermione left.

"Yeah, I guess so," Harry sighed.

'This just feels so wrong. I hate that we know why she got sick, but we can't talk to her about it. I feel like such a liar." He was already regretting the oath he'd taken

"Well at least it'll be easy for us to keep our mouths shut," Ron said. "Did you see how I physically couldn't tell her about the potion? It was weird, I knew what I wanted to say, but the words just stuck in my mouth. I couldn't spit them out!"

"Yeah, easy," Harry agreed halfheartedly. He didn't find anything easy about deceiving his friend.

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It was Monday afternoon and Draco sat at the only empty table in the greenhouse. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone today. He had been feeling rather odd and completely forgetful since yesterday and just needed a break from people.

"Today we will begin creating wands from the trees you've been growing. I will pair you off into partners and you will choose one tree to harvest. Please take this seriously students, for the success of your wand counts for half of your final grade," Professor Sprout babbled as Draco looked around the room. _Partners? That's just fantastic_, he thought sarcastically. There wasn't one person in this class that he'd want to work with.

At that precise moment Hermione burst through the door soaking wet and out of breath. She scanned the room and headed to the only open seat left, right next to Draco.

"Nice of you to join us, Ms. Granger," Professor Sprout chided, "That will be 5 points from Gryffindor for tardiness," she continued giving the girl a stern look.

"Sorry Professor," Hermione blushed as she slid into her seat.

Professor Sprout turned back to her lesson plan and continued with her directions.

"Oh, this is perfect" Draco whispered giving Hermione a disgusted glare. "Not only do you come to class looking like a drowned poodle, but you have to smell like one too?"

"Bugger off, Malfoy. I smell fine," Hermione spat back. She was not in the mood to trade insults with him today.

"Yeah, maybe to you," he said wrinkling his nose, "but to me, you smell like what you are: a fucking wet dog."

Hermione opened her mouth to retort but was stopped by something Professor Sprout was saying, "…well you all look pretty well matched to me, so why don't you just partner with the person sitting next to you."

Both Draco and Hermione turned their heads to scowl at one another.

"I hate you," Hermione said angrily.

"The feeling's mutual."

**This chapter is too short, but adding the next part would mess up the flow…so it is what it is.**


	11. Ch 11 The Warm Thrill of Confusion

**This chapter is a little longer. And yes, it is a feeble attempt to make up for being such an asshole and not updating for nearly two months. :) **

**Ch. 11 The Warm Thrill of Confusion **

It was a Friday night like any other in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The halls were dark and filled with the eerie quiet of a thousand year old institution. The teachers sat nestled in their private quarters doing whatever it is teachers do when they aren't in the classroom and the students gathered in their common rooms to gossip, play games, and find ways to cause mischief. One student, however, was strategically missing from the Gryffindor common room.

Harry and Ron sat in front of the fire wondering what had happened to their bushy-haired friend. She'd been acting a little crazy at dinner, laughing maniacally when asked how she planned to spend her evening, and now she was missing. The pair decided to give her another half hour to come back before they checked the Marauder's Map and went out looking for her.

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The library was cold and quiet. Only one small candle burned at a dusty table covered in the most restricted books of the restricted section. The flame flickered and nearly went out as Hermione emerged from behind a bookshelf carrying three ancient tomes. She set the books on top of her already oversized stack and took her seat.

"Achoo!" She sneezed and this time actually did blow out the candle. Grumbling, she flicked her fingers at the still glowing wick and it relit.

Hermione Granger was miserable. She pulled out a tissue and loudly blew her nose. Not only had she suffered through a frustrating week, but she'd come down with a terrible cold on top of everything else. If there was one thing that Hermione didn't have time for, it was being sick.

She reached for the nearest book and examined the title, _Ethereal Entities and How to Eliminate Them._ This looked promising. She'd been combing book after book looking for a way to get rid of Peeves. He was to blame for her shit week and he would pay.

He'd been the one who dropped a bucket of freezing water on her as she was heading to Herbology on Monday afternoon. The rest of the week had been a chain reaction from that event. She'd been late, lost points for Gryffindor, was forced to sit by Malfoy, partnered with him for the most important project of the year, and then subjected to his infuriating mood swings for the rest of the week. Oh yeah, and she'd been afflicted with this horrid head cold. This was Peeves' entire fault and she wanted revenge. She didn't care if it took her all night. She was determined to find a way to exorcise that menace!

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"Full house, kings over sevens," Blaise Zabini announced smugly to the table of his fellow seventh year Slytherins.

Friday night poker had been a tradition in Slytherin house for decades. It was a right of passage reserved for those at the top of the totem pole. The younger boys waited in envy for their seventh year when they could sit at that table getting pissed and smoking cigars without the fear of detention or expulsion. Professor Snape turned a blind eye to this weekly practice as long as the boys cleaned up their mess and scourgified the smoke smell. He believed in traditions and had participated in this one himself when he'd been at Hogwarts.

"Beats my two pair," Theodore Nott admitted turning over a pocket pair of fours and getting up to grab another Scurf's Stout, the cheapest and most readily available goblin-beer in Hogsmeade. "Who needs another?" he asked holding up a couple of dark brown bottles.

"I do," Goyle answered, "and one for Vince too." The two brutes had folded this hand and Crabbe had scampered off to get more money.

"You're bloody cheating tonight," Malfoy laughed turning over another losing hand. "What's that? The fifth hand you've won in a row?" he asked Zabini.

"Yes, I believe it is. Now hand it over Draco," Blaise responded laying his hand open on the table as Draco slipped the Malfoy family ring from his finger and tossed it into Blaise's waiting palm.

"I'm going to win that back," he promised as he pulled out a cigarette and proceeded to light it.

The four boys sat at the table and waited for their fifth to return. Draco leaned his chair back and looked around the stone partition that separated their table from the rest of the common room.

"Heidi," Draco called to the cute blonde sixth year sitting a few meters away, "come over here."

The girl looked confused but slowly got up to follow his request. "What is it, Draco?" she asked sliding up next to his chair. She could tell by his flirty smile that he was going to hit on her. That was his way. Almost every attractive girl in Slytherin knew this about him and had kissed him at one time or another. She was no exception.

"Be my good luck charm," he said capturing her wrist and pulling her towards him.

She smiled and allowed him to move her onto his lap. "And how do I do that?" she asked settling sideways on his left leg and circling her right arm around his shoulders.

"Just sit here and make me feel lucky," he answered wrapping one hand around her waist and putting his half-smoked cigarette out with the other. He preferred girls to smoking anyway.

At that moment, Crabbe returned to the table and picked up the cards to deal. "Alright, ante up, you cheap bastards," he ordered and the game resumed.

A few hands passed and Draco was doing much better. He'd just won two big pots and was feeling rather confidant. He thanked the girl in his arms by kissing her on the neck.

"What about your girlfriend?" Heidi whispered after his bold move.

"What about her?" Draco asked tightening his grip around her.

"Wouldn't she be mad if she knew I was sitting on your lap?"

"Yes," he said as he called the bet on the table. "Does that bother you?" he whispered into her ear.

She turned to face him, surprised by his blunt responses. "Does it bother _you_?" she asked, arching a perfectly shaped brow.

"No."

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"Bend over, you bad, bad boy," Hermione smirked at the greasy-haired man who adjusted his toga and settled onto all fours in front of her. She looked around the cluttered potions laboratory and found a wooden stirring spoon and proceeded to spank the man's bony buttocks with it. "What do you say Sevy?" she asked impishly.

Severus Snape turned his head to glare at her and rolled his eyes as he mumbled the desired response. "Thank you madam, may I have another?"

Hermione laughed and swung the spoon up in preparation to hit him again when a sharp pain burned into her right forearm. "Ouch!" she said aloud as she opened her eyes and grabbed her arm.

A fat glob of wax lay there hardened. She picked it off and realized that she had fallen asleep in the library. _What a weird dream_, she thought embarrassedly and blushed a deep red. _Mental note: never mention that horrifying dominatrix dream to ANYONE. Ever._ _Also, learn Occlumency._ She snorted to herself as she imagined the look on Professor Snape's face if he knew what she'd dreamt.

She idly glanced at the time and realized that it was way past curfew and that she'd been gone for hours. She looked at the book she'd been resting on and frowned at it. She had wasted a perfectly good Friday night and had nothing to show for it. She could have been done after only five minutes if she had been willing to do blood rituals. Who knew that exorcisms required a frightening amount of dark magic? Okay, so maybe she could have guessed this, but she'd been hopeful at the beginning. Now she realized she was just being crazy. It wasn't Peeves' fault that Malfoy had such a toxic personality. She began putting the books back on the shelves and gathered her things to leave.

As she walked back to Gryffindor, through the impossibly dark halls, she thought about what tomorrow held in store for her. Malfoy had grudgingly agreed to meet with her in the greenhouse after quidditch practice. _He is going to be all sweaty and gross_, she thought. She knew what Harry and Ron looked like when they came back from practice. _At least we're actually going to start on our project_. That was the only redeeming factor of spending an afternoon with him.

It had been quite a job getting him to agree. He didn't believe in doing homework a month in advance even though Hermione had tried to tell him that it was only two weeks early, if you didn't you didn't count Christmas break. He hadn't been listening. "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't talk to me in public," he'd intoned, "people might get the wrong idea and think I don't hate you."

She'd snorted at him and told him to get over himself, but it had done no good. He had continued to stare straight ahead like she wasn't even there. That was Wednesday. She'd talked to him again earlier today after Herbology and basically told him that they needed to meet at least once before the holidays. She'd offered to get together tonight, but he'd laughed and sarcastically told her to go wait for him in the library and he would be sure to rush right up there on a Friday night.

"So when do you want to meet?" she'd asked desperately, her patience dwindling.

"Fuck! If it will get you to leave me alone, I have some time tomorrow after quidditch practice," he'd said running a hand through his hair in an unintentional act of agitation.

"Great, that will be fine. I'll meet you in the greenhouse tomorrow then," she'd said, glad that the situation was finally getting resolved.

He'd nodded noncommittally and turned to head into the castle. "I'm sure you'll be just creaming yourself for the opportunity to spend a Saturday doing homework," he'd chuckled under his breath as he'd begun to head up the front steps.

And that's when things got ugly.

She'd been so mad at his arrogant comment that she'd tripped him on the steps with a wandless tripping jinx and watched as he crashed down on the cold hard stone. She hadn't meant to hurt him, she'd only meant to embarrass him, but alas he had not been able to effectively catch himself and he bashed his head hard on the edge of a stair. A pool of hot blood formed underneath his head before he even noticed anything was wrong. Then, as if in slow motion, he spotted the puddle and reached his hand up to the raised skin above his eye. He cringed in pain and then turned on her for revenge.

"Granger, you bitch!" he yelled getting up and marching over to her. His tall frame towered over the petite brunette. She felt frightened by the rage she saw in his eyes. All of the previous anger she'd felt was long gone now, replaced by an instinctual fear.

"Malfoy, wait…" she managed, backing up away from him. "I didn't do anything…look I don't even have my wand out…"

He didn't seem to be listening to her. He kept advancing on her like a predator stalking its prey. She knew something bad was about to happen so she reached her hands in her pockets and fumbled to draw her wand. It would take more than a little wandless magic to defend herself from a full on attack. She could do simple spells like "accio" or "petrificus totalus" without her wand, but nothing complex, nothing strong enough to block a harmful hex.

"Don't even think about it _Mudblood_," he growled, the blood now dripping down his face. Hermione paled at his usage of that old clichéd word. He hadn't used it in a long time. She couldn't remember the last time he'd called her that. "You think you are so special don't you? You think you can take on anyone, but I see what lingers behind those defiant eyes of yours…fear. You're scared of me…as you should be," he laughed as he snapped his hand out and caught her behind the neck. "Don't think I won't hurt you just because we're on school grounds," he whispered pulling her head close to his mouth. Then he raised his right fist still holding her with his left hand and swung it hard toward her face. She screamed and squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the punch.

It never came.

She was released abruptly and cruel laughter tore her from her panic. She blinked her eyes open to find that Malfoy had stopped the punch millimeters from her face. "Remember this the next time you try to fuck with me. I gave you a pass today, but you only get one of those." He began backing up and wiping the blood from his brow.

"Fuck you, Malfoy," Hermione whispered, straightening her robes and trying to hold back the tears that were prickling her eyes.

"Ooh, language Granger," he scolded mockingly as he turned away from her and easily ascended the stairs taking two at a time. "Do you kiss Potter's ass with that mouth?" he laughed over his shoulder as he pulled open the heavy oak door to the castle and disappeared behind it.

And that was the last time she saw him today. He hadn't shown up for dinner and she was secretly glad. She wondered if they would still have their scheduled meeting tomorrow. She would be there, but wouldn't be surprised if he didn't show.

"Password, please."

The voice of the Fat Lady startled Hermione from her thoughts. She hadn't realized she'd made in back to Gryffindor so quickly.

"Lernaean Hydra," she mumbled as the portrait swung open. Sleep sounded like an increasingly tempting idea and she climbed the stairs to her dormitory with heavy lidded eyes. Regardless of what tomorrow held, she could relax and sleep peacefully tonight.

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Draco groaned and rolled over in his soft cotton sheets. His mouth was sticky and held the nauseating flavor of stale cigarettes and beer. _What time is it?_ he wondered as he blinked the haze from his eyes and glanced at the clock. 6:30 a.m. Far too early to be awake. He moved to retrieve his wand from the night stand to conjure a glass of water but was stopped by something solid. He stared regretfully at the lump of blankets rising and falling with the steady breathing of the girl sleeping next to him.

"Fuck," he sighed as he slid out of the bed trying not to wake her or any of his roommates.

He slipped soundlessly out of the room and into the bathroom which was charmed to continually shine sparkling white. Draco squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light and he walked over to a sink. He looked up at the mirror in front of him and frowned at his reflection. His hair stood awkwardly in all sorts of directions and his eyes sat on top of large blue circles that contrasted drastically to the smooth pallor of his face. His hair and clothes smelled like smoke and his skin felt dirty. He ran the shower scalding hot and washed off as much of last night's debauched activities as he could.

After cleaning his teeth and drying his hair he snuck back into his dark dormitory. He could hear the even breathing of his roommates and was confidant that no one else had awoken.

He pulled back the bed curtains which had been drawn tightly last night, signaling that a girl was in the bed, and sat down on the edge near her. "Heidi," he whispered to the tangled mess of blonde hair that lay rolled up in his sheets.

She had stirred at his voice, but not fully woken, so he gently shook her shoulder and watched as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Morning," she said smiling and rustling the sheets to make room for him.

Draco cringed at the volume of her voice, but smiled instead of shushing her. He leaned down so that his lips were nearly touching her ear and whispered.

"I think you should go back to your bed before anyone wakes up." He grinned, pushing the hair away from her neck and kissing her there. He didn't like waking up to girls in his bed. He usually sent them back to their dorms after he was finished with them. He usually didn't even bring girls to his bed at all, opting for abandoned classrooms, lounges, closets, etc. But now was not the time to tell Heidi that he wanted her out because her presence was suffocating him. Now was the time to be a perfect gentleman and tell her to leave before she got in trouble. Sometimes he was glad for silly school rules. What excuse would he use next year to get girls to leave when he had his own place? He didn't know. Maybe he would always go to their apartments instead of bringing them to his.

"What time is it?" Heidi asked interrupting his thoughts.

"About seven. You still have time, but you better go before anyone notices you're gone," he said lifting her wand and jeans from a pile on the floor and handing them to her.

"Okay," she said stretching languidly and rising form the bed. She clearly had no idea that he wanted her to get the hell out as soon as possible. "I'll see you at breakfast," she whispered as she leaned into him and kissed him on the lips.

He allowed the kiss only because denying it would cause her to stay longer. Smiling halfheartedly, he nodded as she turned and left his room.

Draco lay back on his bed and stretched out his arms and legs. It felt good to use up all of the space on the bed. He let his mind wander back to the previous night's events and thought about how his actions with Heidi would affect his life. Nothing would happen as long as she kept her mouth shut. None of the guys would tell anyone about it. He counted on the camaraderie between all men that forced them to keep their mouths shut when someone was getting action on the side. It wouldn't fail him. Any man that betrayed this unspoken agreement would be labeled a traitor and would never be trusted in the brotherhood of men again.

Feeling much more comfortable now that he had his own space, he let his eyes droop shut and fell back asleep within minutes.

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"I saw you last night with Heidi," Pansy whispered to Draco at breakfast. "What about your little girlfriend? Trouble in paradise?" She leaned her head on his shoulder and cackled evilly. She knew Draco couldn't have a serious girlfriend. She'd said all along that it was only a matter of time until he dumped her and went back to his usual playboy ways.

"Yeah, you could say that," he responded shrugging her off and glancing across the room to the Hufflepuff table. Sienna was not in attendance, and he wondered if she was avoiding him or just sleeping in.

He hadn't talked to her since their fight yesterday and he really didn't feel like talking to her today either. She was just so frustrating sometimes.

It had all started when he'd showed up at Hufflepuff after his run in with Granger. He'd been forced to stop at the hospital wing to get the gash on his eyebrow healed, so he'd been a little late.

"Where've you been?" she asked as she opened the door to the common room, "I've been waiting for you for nearly an hour."

"I know," he said leaning on the door frame and turning his head to hide the scar that now drew a vertical line through his left eyebrow. Pomfrey had told him that he would have a scar; a scar that would start just under his eyebrow and cut straight up. The hair would most likely never grow back and he would have a gap in his sculpted brow for the rest of his life. _At least it wasn't a little higher_, Draco thought relieved. The last thing he would want would be a scar on his forehead. "Something came up," he explained standing up straight and leaning in to her. "I'm here now," he breathed pulling her up against him and kissing her jaw line.

"Well, I'm glad you're here, but what kept you?" she asked not willing to let him off the hook.

"Nothing really, just a little trouble after class," he smiled grabbing her hand and leading her into the common room. He had been a little worried about what he was going to tell Sienna about his scar. He didn't want her to know that he had been in quite possibly the lamest fight ever. And with a girl no less.

"Did you get into a fight?" she asked settling down on the mustard-yellow sofa.

"I don't want to talk about it," he said sitting down next to her and searching his mind for a way to change the subject.

"Draco, what happened to you?" she asked, suddenly noticing the scar. She reached up and traced the angry red line with her finger.

He grumbled and batted her hand away. "Don't touch it, it's still sore."

"Are you okay?" she asked looking over the rest of him for signs of trauma. "What happened?"

"Sienna, please," Draco huffed angrily. Would this girl ever shut up?

"Why won't you tell me? Is it embarrassing?" she laughed moving closer and folding her body perfectly against his. She seemed determined to ignore his grouchy mood.

"Yes. It's embarrassing. Now leave me alone."

He tried to keep a straight face while Sienna ran her lips along his ear.

"Tell me, Draco," she whispered turning her entire body toward him and placing both her arms around his neck.

Draco was officially distracted from his original plan of secrecy. "What's in it for me?" he asked turning to meet her lips.

"Tell me and you'll find out," she whispered into his neck.

Draco was having a hard time focusing on forming words. "Hermione Granger tripped me on the stairs outside and I cut my eye," he said dazedly.

Sienna stopped her assault on his neck and looked him in the eye. "Did she do it on purpose?"

"Of course she did. That little bitch," he answered. "She was mad because we got partnered together in Herbology."

"Why would that make her mad? I thought you two were friends," she asked confused. She had never heard him talk about Hermione like that before.

"Friends?" At first he thought she was kidding but her baffled expression told him she was serious. "What are you talking about, Sienna? I would never be friends with that uptight twat," he laughed humorlessly.

"Well then, why did you pretend to date her, if you're not friends?" Sienna didn't like this side of him. She pulled away completely and squared her shoulders.

Draco was angry now. Sienna wasn't making any sense. "Listen, I don't know where you heard that I pretended to date Granger, but I can assure you, I would never lower myself to be associated with such filth." He leveled his eyes and spoke with an eerie coldness.

Sienna was disgusted that he would blatantly lie to her. "Draco, you told me that you pretended to date her to help protect her reputation. You can't sit there and act like you don't know what I'm talking about. This was only a few weeks ago. You couldn't have forgotten already." She couldn't believe Draco was acting like this. Why was he pretending not to remember?

"Sienna, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not friends with Granger, nor have I ever been and I don't want to hear anymore about it," he crossed his arms and set his jaw. Sienna knew this look and realized there was no point in arguing with him further.

A few minutes passed where neither spoke. Draco draped his arm around her shoulders in an attempt to rectify the situation but she shrugged him off. "Come on, don't be mad," he said gruffly and tried to circle her shoulders again.

"Draco, stop it. I'm not in the mood for this," she snapped.

"Oh, there's a shock," Draco said under his breath. Pulling away was Sienna's signature move.

"What did you just say?" she asked brows raised and face red. She was getting angry again.

"Nothing, it's just this isn't the first time you've shied away from my touch," he stated. He figured as long as they were already fighting, he may as well get this off his chest.

Sienna's face was both hurt and mad. She knew that Draco was frustrated with her fear of physical intimacy, but she thought he understood.

"Draco, I know it's hard for you to wait so long, and you've been so great, but you know I'm scared. I've never had a boyfriend before. I'm just not ready to do…_that_ with you yet," she said. She turned her eyes toward him and in that moment looked every bit as young as she was.

"I know, but how long do you need?" he asked. "I'm not asking you to have sex with me, but we could at least do other things. I've never even seen you naked," he said frustrated.

"I don't know how long it will take," she said defeated. "Probably a long time."

And that's how the fight went. He'd left shortly after, telling her that he had a prefect's meeting and hadn't seen her since.

After breakfast, Pansy pulled Draco aside and asked him if he wanted to talk.

"You look depressed," she said giving him the once over. "What happened with Sienna?"

Draco didn't feel like being a little bitch and whining to Pansy about his problems, but she seemed interested, so he told her about the fight. He left out the parts about Granger. That was a whole other can of worms that he didn't feel like opening.

"Well, there's your problem right there," Pansy said when Draco got to the part about Sienna pulling away from him. "She's a prude and you've been putting up with it for a long time," she told him confidently. "See Draco, Sienna is the kind of girl you marry. She will be the perfect high society wife. She's not the girl for a horny teenage boy to date. You need to get rid of her and have fun while you can."

It was funny to hear a girl talk like this, but Pansy was one of a kind. She had learned the ways of the male psyche at a young age and used the knowledge to her advantage on many occasions.

"Pansy, you are wise beyond your years," Draco laughed throwing his arm around her and guiding her down toward the dungeons.

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At two o'clock, while most students were enjoying a homework-free afternoon, Hermione sat in the greenhouse harvesting her Mahogany tree. She hadn't asked Malfoy if he'd want to use her tree or his European Yew sapling, but she just assumed hers would be the better choice. She had worked hard to make it perfect, plus she'd read that Merlin had a Mahogany wand and if it was good enough for Merlin, it should be good enough for Malfoy.

It was 2:30 before he arrived. He walked into the room carrying his polished broom and sporting half of his quidditch gear. "Granger," he greeted formally as he set the broom in the corner and began removing the rest of his protective padding.

"Malfoy," she responded trying not to watch him as he unlaced his wrist guards and stuffed them into his bag. After both arms were freed, he raised his left leg and positioned it on a chair while he bent down to remove his shin guards. His shirt stuck to his back as the sweat soaked material began to dry. He smiled as he thought of how he must smell right now. He could have easily showered, but why spare Granger the delight of sitting in a closed space with a rank athlete.

Hermione found herself strangely drawn to the Slytherin's actions. She watched his arm muscles flex as he removed his gear and felt a strange notion of déjà vu as his pale fingers worked on untying the laces. Suddenly Malfoy turned his head and caught her eye. He furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes. "What?" he asked gruffly, causing her to jump and turn away reflexively.

"Nothing," she said turning bright red at having been caught staring. "I didn't think you were going to show up."

"Why is that, Granger?" he asked standing up and advancing on her table, "I said I would, didn't I?" He was sitting across from her now and idly leafing through her text book.

"Don't do that," she scolded looking up and catching his eye, "it was on the right page," she mumbled noticing the bright red scar cutting through his left brow. _Did I do that?_ she wondered worriedly. She was suddenly filled with guilt for tripping him yesterday. Her instincts ordered her to apologize, but she was not about to do it. It would only make things worse. He would never accept an apology from her and would probably ridicule her for trying.

"So we are using your tree then?" he asked noticing that she had already begun to do so.

"Yes," she said firmly turning the branch she'd chosen over in her hands, "I didn't think you'd mind."

The two worked steadily for about an hour. They managed to keep from fighting by saying as little to each other as possible. Draco was glad that they were getting some work done. Even though he'd given her a hard time about scheduling a meeting to start on their project, he was glad now for the distraction from his complicated life. He was mad at her for scarring him and for being an all around bitch, but he had so many other things on his plate right now that his irritation for her was taking a back burner.

Hermione was currently explaining her plans for their wand. She wanted to make it a special kind of wand that…blah, blah, blah. Draco could not hear any of the words she was saying because he could see her bra. That's right, her bra. She had reached into her bag to retrieve another book when her top button caught on the table's edge and snapped off. She hadn't noticed, but her shirt now fell open and Draco could see the lacy trim of a respectable white cotton bra.

It was strange to think of Granger wearing undergarments. He'd never thought about her as a girl before, and it was really strange to think that under that oversized shapeless shirt, she had _breasts_.

Suddenly he heard a scandalized gasp and watched as Hermione gripped her shirt together with a tight fist. "Were you just staring at my…_chest_?" she asked angrily.

Draco, not feeling embarrassed in the least, looked up at her blushing face and plastered on his most patronizing smirk. "Well, you can't blame me when you practically show me your tits, Granger."

"Ugh!" she gasped looking around for her wand and sealing her shirt all the way up to her neck. "You are disgusting," she growled.

"Oh, don't get so excited," he huffed, clearly annoyed. "It wasn't personal, but a bloke has to look when given such a perfect opportunity," he defended, "and let me say…not bad" He laughed as he gave her a thumbs up. Her face turned even redder. It was fun embarrassing her. _That's probably the furthest she's ever gotten with a guy_, he thought smugly. There was no doubt in his mind that Hermione Granger was a silly virgin who probably blushed at the thought of holding hands with a boy, let alone showing him her body. She was so uptight.

Hermione was pointedly ignoring Malfoy by this point as she gathered up her things. "I think we've done quite enough work for today," she said as she stuffed her book and whittling knife into her bag. "I will contact you after the holidays to finish this up," she added as she stood up, swung her bag over her shoulder and marched out of the greenhouse.

Hermione found herself blushing periodically for the rest of the day. Anytime she let her mind wander, it would automatically jump to that incident with Malfoy. She told herself that she was appalled by his sexist behavior, but secretly in the back of her mind, hidden in a dark corner, she felt a little bit flattered at his attention. Even though he was a total jerk, Malfoy was very attractive, and it made her feel satisfied to know that he had complemented her body. He hadn't said anything blatant, just a simple "Not bad," which she knew was probably just to shine her on, but she had seen the male appreciation in his eyes and that's what kept making her cheeks stain red when she remembered it.


	12. Ch 12 Like Warm Champagne

**101 reviews! you guys rock!**

**Ch. 12 Like Warm Champagne**

**Warning**: This chapter continues to be AU and gives no explanation on why Lucius is out of prison.

Hermione, Harry and Ron sat comfortably in the warm Gryffindor common room. Few other students had arrived back from Christmas break since the train wasn't due for three more hours. The trio had apparated back early to could get settled in before the crowds of underclassmen arrived. They stretched out in the nearly empty room, savoring its quietness. Being of legal age sure made life easier.

"I still feel bad leaving Ginny behind," Harry said as he watched Hermione and Ron thread their fingers together. A noncommittal, "Mm hmm," was the only response he got from the oblivious couple.

This newfound flirtation started on Christmas day. Ron had given Hermione a homemade picture frame holding a photo of them having a snowball fight. The photo-couple laughed and hugged inside an ingenious frame that changed color to fit any décor. When Hermione opened it, she'd thanked Ron with a kiss on his cheek. Harry had never seen Ron blush so red and it was obvious that the kiss meant something more than a simple "thank you".

After that incident, Ron and Hermione spent a good deal of time together. They were always laughing, or sitting together, or just talking quietly with their heads together. Neither of them had tried to make their budding relationship official by declaring themselves a couple, but the sentiment was there nonetheless.

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Draco arrived at Hogwarts just as the welcome feast began. He dragged his heavy trunk down to the dungeons enjoying the echoing thump it made on each marble stair. He couldn't help being in an extremely sour mood after enduring a torturous fortnight at Malfoy Manor with his parents who had taken a sudden interest in his personal life.

"Tell me Draco, are you involved with anyone at school?" Lucius asked one evening while sporting a deliberate grin that said he knew exactly who Draco was seeing.

_What's it to you?_ Draco screamed in his mind. Lucius only showed an interest in Draco's personal life when he wanted to decree an acquaintance unworthy. Draco hated these false father-son moments when he had to act like he was interested in talking with his sire. Because that's all Lucius was anymore, simply the man that sired him. The pride and emotional attachments that Draco used to feel when he thought of this man had long since dissipated into embarrassment and contempt. "Yes, sir," he'd responded swallowing his disgust at the forced sham of decorum.

"Well, do tell. Who is the lucky girl?" Lucius prompted, a command disguised as an inquiry.

Draco didn't need to think about how to answer this question. He knew what his father wanted to hear, so he gave it to him. "Her name is Sienna Burke of the 11th generation House of Burke." Draco watched as Lucius' grin widened as he nodded approvingly.

"Is her father Commodus Burke, by any chance?" He asked scanning his mind for any information he could remember regarding the "Noble House of Burke". "I knew him years ago, though I haven't seen him around lately. Does he still live in England?"

"Yes, I believe their family home resides just outside of Liverpool," Draco answered. Lucius should have known this. The Burkes were a fairly prominent family and their ancestral home had been in the same place for centuries.

"Oh yes, that's right," he said getting up to pour himself a drink and offering one to Draco. He sat down in his chair and swirled the amber liquid around inside his glass. Draco knew this routine; Lucius had been doing it his whole life. He was pretending to consider something when his plans were already carved in stone. "You should have told me this sooner, Draco," Lucius scolded and took a large swallow from his glass. "No doubt this Sienna has told her parents about your relationship. They are going to think we are terribly rude for not inviting them over sooner. I'll draft a letter tonight explaining how my _son_ must have forgotten his manners."

And there it was. He was going to meet his girlfriend's parents.

And he did, just two days later.

Sienna and her parents arrived on a Saturday night for drinks and dinner followed by even more drinks and talking. Lucius and Commodus took turns stroking each other's egos while Narcissa and Mrs. Burke gossiped about all of their mutual social contacts. Draco found the whole affair to be unbearably boring. He was glad when ten o'clock rolled around and dinner party etiquette forced the Burkes to head home.

As they were leaving, Draco placed a customary chaste kiss on Sienna's lips and later, when she was undoubtedly tucked away in her bed at home, he set out to a nearby pub where he met his real entertainment for the evening. He hadn't planned on picking anyone up, but after a few drinks and some enlightened conversation with a group of girls from Sweden, he managed to secure an amazing blow job in the back of the women's bathroom before apparating home to sleep off his drunken stupor.

Draco awoke the following morning as he had many other days: with a pounding headache and the hazy memories of a wild night lingering in his head. He wasn't proud of his actions, but seeing Sienna's parents schmooze with his like they were his fucking in-laws made him act a little rash. He felt suffocated by the idea of having a serious relationship at such young age. He didn't see any reason why his parents should even know about Sienna let alone invite her whole family over for dinner. The more he thought about the situation the more he wanted to get back to school so he could break up with the girl.

And now he _was_ back. He'd slipped into the Great Hall just as the food was appearing on the tables and sat down at the Slytherin table to eat his dinner and make small talk with his housemates.

His attention drifted to the Hufflepuff table. Sienna smiled at him and he nodded in response before quickly looking away. She was so innocent and it wasn't her fault that things were getting so messed up. He decided to postpone breaking up with her for a few more days. After all, he didn't want to incur the wrath of Lucius for dumping Sienna so soon after the dinner party. Draco was skilled in the art of playing people and knew that timing was everything in these situations.

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Hermione looked over at the Slytherin table and frowned. Malfoy was there laughing with all of his friends and looking like a perfectly normal, nice boy. _Looks sure can be deceiving_, she thought as she remembered the run-in she'd had with him before Christmas break. She wondered if the scar on his face had gotten any better. She had thought about it a lot over the holidays and couldn't get the guilty feeling out of her head. He was a total prick, but he didn't deserve to be physically scarred for it. Well, at least not at her hands. She hadn't talked to him since she caught him staring at her breasts that day and now she would have to set up a date…er a meeting with him to work on their Herbology project.

She blushed at the idea of talking to him. For some reason that thought embarrassed her. She blushed even harder at the idea of blushing over him. She was really acting like a silly school girl. _I just have to be professional about this_, she resolved as she thought over some possible methods of approaching him. Suddenly he looked up from his dinner plate and locked eyes with her. She gasped at having been caught staring and looked away flustered. His face remained impassive as he turned his head back to the conversation around him. Maybe he didn't even notice her. She hadn't realized she'd been watching him for so long…maybe he didn't either.

In that moment she decided that facing him, wasn't her best option. _I'll just send him an owl._

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That night Hermione sat in her room composing her letter to Malfoy. She'd gone though a few drafts before she settled on one that seemed acceptable.

_Malfoy,_

_When do you want to work on our Herbology project? It's due Friday so we don't have much time. I am available any night this week, so let me know as soon as you figure out your schedule. _

_-Hermione _

She read it over five times before she tied it to a school owl and sent it out the window. Her stomach fluttered nervously as she thought of Malfoy reading it. He would probably ridicule her for saying she was free every night. She could already hear his taunting voice, "Well, of course you're free, Granger! What else would a boring little know-it-all be doing on a school night? It's not like you'd ever have a date."

"Yes, I would…bastard," she mumbled as she looked over to the picture of her and Ron sitting on her nightstand. She smiled to herself and got up to join the rest of her house in the common room.

Not ten minutes after she got downstairs, an owl came tapping on the window.

"Hermione, it's for you," a sixth year boy announced as he removed the letter from the owl's talon and set the bird free out the window.

"Thanks," she muttered as she retrieved the letter and examined it. She hadn't expected Malfoy to answer so quickly.

"Who's it from?" Ron asked tossing an arm over her shoulder and a peering at the crinkled parchment.

"Malfoy," Hermione said scanning the hastily written response. "I owled him earlier to see when he wanted to do our Herbology project," she explained rolling her eyes at what she read.

_Granger,_

_Notes? What are we, first years? If you want to ask me a question, do it in person. _

_-DM_

_Ugh!_ She thought angrily. _Isn't he the one who told me not to address him in public?_ He was just doing this to piss her off and it was working.

"Bastard," she said aloud again, and then crumpled the parchment and threw it in the fire.

"Yeah, he sucks balls," Ron said.

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Draco sat in his favorite chair in front of the fireplace in the Slytherin common room. He held a book open in his lap and pretended to read while he eavesdropped on a group of chattering girls. He was supposed to be writing his Potions essay but couldn't concentrate with all of the distractions around him.

First, he'd just settled in to study when Granger's insipid owl flew in and pecked him until he read her note. Now, he was expected to study with a group of sixth years gossiping about the rumored threesome involving Michael Corner and the Patil twins. He slammed the book shut loudly; declaring tonight's studying to be a lost cause. He had planned on doing his homework himself, but why bother. He could just go to the Slytherin test bank hidden behind the portrait of the Bangladeshi snake charmer and find an Outstanding essay from years ago.

He stood up to do just that when an arm slid around his shoulders and pulled him back down into his seat.

"I missed you over break," a husky voice whispered in his ear as a slim blonde appeared from behind his chair and knelt down in front of him.

"Heidi," Draco sighed, not bothering to hide his obvious impatience. He didn't want to talk to her. He thought she would have gotten the message after he blew her off and hadn't talked to her in over two weeks. Granted, most of the time was spent away from school where she had no idea that he was avoiding her, but he'd hoped she would lose her nerve and not be able to face him so boldly. That's what most girls would do.

"Did you have a nice Christmas?" she asked repositioning herself so that her head rested on his lap.

"It was okay," he said looking at her briefly before turning his head to glance at the clock.

She remained quite for a few moments to give him time to elaborate. When it was clear that he wasn't going to say anything more she smiled awkwardly and caught his gaze. "Am I keeping you from something?"

"Actually, I have a lot of work to do tonight," he told her standing up and slowly moving her off his lap. "I didn't do anything over break and now I have three essays and a project due this week." He stood staring down at her without cracking a smile. "I better go."

"Yeah," she said softly wrinkling her brow in confusion. "Are you mad at me?"

"Of course not," came he monotone reply. "Why would I be mad at you? I hardly even know you." He knew he shouldn't have said it, but he didn't know how else to make it clear to her that she was not important to him. He wanted to tell her that one drunken night of awkward fumbling in his bed was not the start of some new relationship. He wanted to tell her that he hadn't wasted one minute of thought on her since the morning he'd kicked her out of his bed. He wanted to tell her to piss off until he was drunk and horny enough to want her again, but he couldn't. That would not be to his benefit. An angry girl always led to gossip and public humiliation, so he stood there with a forced blank stare watching her face fall from flirty optimism to crushed embarrassment.

"I don't know…I just thought…I don't know." She stuttered then laughed awkwardly to cover up the uncomfortable pause. "Nevermind," she said plastering on a fake smile and walking away from him. "See you later," she said with her back to him. He could hear her voice wavering with the tears she held back, but he didn't move until she was completely out of the room.

_I need to stop getting myself into these situations_, he thought irritated as he marched over to the portrait of the snake charmer to find a suitable essay to copy.

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It was Wednesday before Hermione got the courage to talk to Malfoy about their project. It seemed that he didn't really care if their wand got finished or not. He probably just assumed she'd finish it herself, and he was right. She would if she had to. Her grades were not going to suffer just because her partner was a lazy snob. _He probably doesn't even care about school work,_ she thought angrily. _He's going to inherit millions of galleons from his daddy and spend his life torturing muggles anyway. An ape could do that. _

She stood outside of the potions lab with the rest of the NEWT level students waiting for Snape to arrive. Malfoy stood leaning against the cold stone wall staring at her. At first she felt self conscious and looked down at her clothes to see if anything was out of place. Everything looked fine so she raised her eyes and stared back at him. "What?" she asked after a minute-long staring contest.

"What?" he said blinking out of his daze and shaking his head to clear the fog.

"You were staring at me," she told him wrinkling her brow with a look that was clearly waiting for an explanation.

"No I wasn't," he argued standing up straight and turning away. It was obvious that he considered their exchange to be over and expected Hermione to shut up about it.

"Yes you were Malfoy," Hermione shot back. She wasn't going to let this go. She was already irritated at him for his stupid owl the other night and now shutting up would be admitting she was wrong and she wasn't wrong. "I saw you."

"Merlin Granger, shut the fuck up already!" he said rolling his eyes and sighing exasperatedly. "I was spacing out and I didn't even notice where my eyes were, so get over it."

"Fine," she said curling her lips up into some sort of twisted smile. _Granger 1, Malfoy 0_, she thought proudly. "Can you meet tonight to finish up our wand?" she asked, her voice dripping saccharine sweet. "If you don't I'll finish it myself and I'll be sure to tell Professor Sprout as much."

"Could you be any more annoying?" he asked bluntly, letting his shoulders fall back against the wall.

"Yes," she said with warning clear in her voice, "I can be extremely annoying."

"I believe you," he said putting on his best superior smirk and turning to queue up with the other students as Professor Snape appeared at the end of the hall.

"So are you coming tonight, or not?" she asked following behind him into the room.

An irritated growl escaped his lips as he rummaged through his bag and headed for an empty table. "What time?"

"I'm going to start right after dinner," she said pausing at his table as he threw his bag on the floor and plopped down in his chair.

He didn't respond to her and she stood awkwardly wondering if she should stay or leave.

"Why are you still here?" he asked after a few moments had passed. "I'll meet you, okay?" he said bristling as the other students eyed the still bickering pair. A few of them smirked. Daphne and Padma shared a secret and Draco thought it might be at his expense. It seemed that everyone thought this argument with Granger was particularly interesting and he couldn't figure out why. He always fought with her and no one ever bothered to notice before. For once in his life, he didn't like all the attention. And Granger standing over him red faced and babbling about how rude and arrogant he was, wasn't helping. "Go away, Granger…we're done here," he interrupted, effectively shutting her up.

As she stomped off to her table Professor Snape took 10 points from Gryffindor for her "blatant lack of respect for classroom rules of conduct". Draco smiled to himself. _Way to go, Snape_. Seeing that look of pure loathing on Hermione's face made him laugh. He loved fighting with her. He sucked in a deep breath and let it out. _What a great way to start the day. _

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Heidi Harris walked down from the Divination Tower with her best friend Saffron Rosier. The class had just begun studying Pyromancy (divination through fire) and both girls giggled with excitement at the readings they'd just received. Saffron saw great wealth and longevity in her flame, whereas Heidi saw a passionate love in hers. The pair walked down the halls toward the Great Hall coming up with scenarios of their possible futures.

"Maybe, you'll publish that book your writing and become a famous author," Heidi suggested to Saffron who smiled at the thought. She spent most of her free time writing and researching for her top secret novel.

"Yeah maybe…or I'll just marry rich and never have to work."

Heidi laughed and then scrunched up her face in disapproval of the idea. "Scary thought," she said, "do you want to spend the rest of your life as a housewife…squeezing out babies and ordering house elves around?"

"No, I guess not," Saffron said thoughtfully, "Famous author it is, then."

The two reached a collection of students who stood waiting at the top of a stair case for it to switch back into position. "And what about you? You saw romance in your future. Who do you think it could be? Someone you already know?"

"I don't know…maybe," Heidi said quietly. Her face blushed pink as she looked at the students around them. The staircase arrived and the group continued on their decent to the Great Hall.

"What about Draco?" Saffron asked a little too loud for Heidi's comfort.

She shushed her friend then lowered her own voice, "I don't know about him anymore," she said remembering the conversations she'd had with him the night before.

"Why not? Don't you like him anymore?" Saffron asked.

"Of course I like him. I just don't think _he_ likes _me_," she responded sighing and running a hand through her hair in an attempt to look indifferent.

"Why do you think that?" Saffron wanted to know. "Wasn't it just before break that you spent the whole night sitting on his lap and then in his bed?"

"Yes, but I am pretty sure that was a one time thing," Heidi said and then told Saffron about the conversation she'd shared with him last night. "So, can we just drop it?" she suggested after she finished.

"Yeah, sure," Saffron agreed. "But can I just say…what a prick!"

The girls continued chatting as they neared the heavy doors to the Great Hall. Neither of them noticed the small blonde Hufflepuff that stood stock still at the end of the hall, frozen in place by the news she just heard.

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Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table eating her soup and talking with her friends. Ron had his hand wrapped securely around hers and she smiled as he squeezed it affectionately. Things had been going well for her and Ron and she wondered if they were ever going to make their relationship official. She thought he was going to ask her to be his girlfriend the other night when he kissed her for the first time, but he hadn't.

The pair had been sitting in front of the fire in the common room talking about mermaids, of all things, when Ron leaned in and kissed her. She hadn't been expecting it at all and she'd pulled away at first.

"Sorry," he'd said softly keeping his face close to hers.

"It's okay," she'd whispered breathing deeply and moving closer to kiss him back.

The two had spent half an hour after that just sitting together and kissing until they were interrupted by a small army of fourth years returning from an Astronomy class.

"I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast," Ron had said when he walked Hermione to her staircase. She'd hugged him and ascended the stairs feeling a little confused, but mostly excited. She wanted him to be more aggressive, to make their relationship real, to call her his girlfriend. But then she realized she was dealing with Ron, and was happy that things had even progressed this far. He was not known for is adeptness in relationships.

"So, how's your day been?" Ron asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

"It's been good," she responded. She didn't really feel like going into all of the small details of her day, so she didn't object when he was sidetracked by Seamus' latest tale of what he made blow up in which class.

Suddenly the doors to the Great Hall slammed open and a small girl stormed into the room. Hermione recognized her as Malfoy's little Hufflepuff girlfriend and wondered what made the girl so angry. The entire hall fell silent as all eyes landed on the scene playing out in front of them.

Sienna marched right up to the Slytherin table and stood behind Malfoy. He smiled to his friends and continued his conversation as if the girl wasn't even there.

"Tell me about Heidi," she said crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes.

Hermione watched as Malfoy opened his mouth and closed it sharply before standing up and grabbing the girl's arm. "It is neither the time nor the place for this, Sienna," she heard Malfoy growl into the girl's ear as he began dragging her out of the room.

The manhandling produced a violent reaction from the Hufflepuff who tore her arm out of his grip and turned on him with her wand out. "Don't touch me!" she screamed and she shoved him hard with her free hand. "I don't want you to touch me ever again, Draco Malfoy! Do you hear me? We are through!" With that she turned around and stomped back out of the room; leaving in her wake the stunned silence of the entire student body.

All eyes turned back to Draco who played his role perfectly. He met the awed stares of his peers with cool indifference as he cleared his throat, straightened his clothes, and sat back down to eat his lunch. "What?" he said to the table of gawking Slytherins who all tried to look nonchalant as they peered at each other awkwardly and began mumbling useless small-talk.

Hermione couldn't believe what just happened. She watched him closely and noticed a small look of triumph on his face. He didn't seem bothered in the least that his girlfriend had just dumped him and aired his dirty laundry to the entire school. Malfoy really was an enigma.

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That night, Hermione sat in the greenhouse working on her Herbology project. She sanded the edges of the already smooth wood and thought about what to place in the core.

She brought a few different options that each took a long time to find, and was just waiting for Malfoy to get there before she made a decision. She thought he might like some say in this part of the design considering she'd chosen both the wood and length of their wand. She inspected the options carefully, a thread from an acromantula's web, a fairy's wing, and her most prized alternative, a hair from a centaur's mane. She hoped Malfoy would be in his usual uninterested mood and let her choose the core. _Wait a minute…I don't hope that,_ she thought suddenly. She sighed as soon as a new thought entered her mind. In a way, she wanted Malfoy to be impressed that she had procured such a rare specimen. She didn't know why, but she wanted to impress him.

She sat at a table twisting the wand around in her hands. The clock struck nine o'clock before she gathered her things and headed back to her room. Malfoy hadn't showed. She knew she shouldn't be surprised, but for some reason she was.


	13. Ch 13 Love's Bitch

Ch 13 Love's Bitch

Draco sat in his self-assigned seat in the very back of the greenhouse during Herbology on Wednesday afternoon. Professor Sprout droned on about the various methods to prune chomping cabbages while Draco drew disjointed scribbles on his parchment. There didn't seem to be any point in paying attention since he was most likely failing this class. He couldn't be sure, since Sprout hadn't told him anything official yet, but without the credit for the wand project there was no way he could pass. He should have gone to meet Granger that day. It would've been so easy to just show up. She probably would have done most of the work anyway and he would have gotten full credit for the assignment. Now, he was screwed. There was no doubt in his mind that Hermione told Sprout about his lack of contribution to the assignment. _Stupid Granger,_ he thought. _Why_ _does she have to be so damn righteous?_

Draco scanned the room for the Gryffindor in question and his eyes fell upon the bushy-haired girl. She sat in the isle seat at a table near the front of the room and appeared to be taking notes…not surprising, she was always taking notes. Draco could not see much of her face, just the back of her frizzy head and one slender leg that peeked out from underneath the table. _Granger probably doesn't even know, but she's got a nice body_, he thought watching as she shifted in her chair and her pleated wool skirt rode up on her thigh. The skin looked smooth and he could see the definition of her muscle. He licked his lips and couldn't help imagining his hands running up those hot bare legs.

Soon, he thought of her underneath him on an old wooden floor. He wrapped his arms under her body and held her close. She grasped his forearms but slowly moved her hands up to settle on his shoulders where she gripped the tight skin. Draco looked up from the girl in his arms and noticed they were in the invisible stables just outside. He smirked, glad to be in a place with no interruptions.

The brunette placed her hand on his face and turned his attention back to her. He noticed a desperate look in her eyes and moved his head to gently kiss her neck. He smiled as she whispered encouragements in his ear and he sucked in a surprised breath when she curled her legs up and circled them behind his back. Her clean, sweet scent filled the air around him and he sighed appreciatively. That aroma, her skin, her voice, combined to create a painful craving deep inside his body. He felt shaky with an overpowering lust. He couldn't get enough of her. Her legs squeezed his body into her and he laughed as he turned his head to kiss her perfect lips. "Hermione," he breathed.

"What was that, Mr. Malfoy?" Professor Sprout's voice broke into his fantasy.

Draco blinked his eyes and the room came back into focus. He looked around and noticed everyone starring at him, including Granger. He looked at her hard and wondered if she heard him say her name. He cleared his throat and answered, "Nothing, Professor," in an entirely bored tone. Sprout gave him a stern look but then turned back to her lecture.

_That was strange,_ Draco thought. Not the fantasizing about Granger part. He'd had fantasies about pretty much every decent-looking girl that he knew, so it wasn't that strange to have one about her too. No, it was strange that the fantasy seemed so real. He felt like he was actually touching her skin and smelling her scent. It almost felt like a memory more than a daydream, but he knew that was impossible. He'd never gotten anywhere near a naked Hermione Granger.

Another thing that seemed odd was that this wasn't the first time he'd had a fantasy like this. Just last week he'd been waiting for potions class to start and he found himself staring at Hermione and imagining himself kissing her in the Great Hall. In that vision, her legs were wrapped around his waist as he kissed her in front of the entire school. That time she'd caught him staring and he'd tried to play it off, but he couldn't understand why his subconscious took such a sudden interest in Granger. Was it because he accidentally saw her bra that day before Christmas? He really didn't think so. That had been interesting, but not anything that would make him have vivid waking fantasies about her.

"…Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger, please see me after class. Everyone else is dismissed." Professor Sprout interrupted his thoughts for the second time that day.

_Well, damn._ Draco thought. The moment of reckoning was upon him. He stood and slowly gathered his things as the rest of the students trickled out of the room. He glanced over at Granger who already stood next to Professor Sprout's desk. She pointedly ignored him as he slid up next to her. _Can't even look at me, can you?_ he thought resentfully. _Well then, maybe you shouldn't have turned me in, you straight-laced Gryffindor bitch!_ He chuckled a little at his lame inner cursing and composed himself. If he was about to be delivered a failing grade, he was going to receive it with the cool indifference that the loss of a secondary education deserved.

"Oh, there you are!" Professor Sprout beamed at the two students now standing before her.

_Hmm, that's strange_, Draco thought. She should look stern and angry, not delighted like a proud pageant mom.

"You wanted to see us?" Hermione prompted, keeping her eyes carefully trained on Sprout.

"Yes, yes. I just wanted to congratulate you on your wand. A centaur's hair as the core…how inventive! Which one of you came up with that?" she paused and looked both students in the eyes. Neither claimed credit so Sprout continued, "A collaboration, then? Well, that's even better." She clapped her hands together and twittered on about the ingenious design and the skilled whittling technique.

Draco stood utterly stunned. What happened here? Granger hadn't turned him in? Maybe she just hadn't gotten around to it yet. Maybe she was waiting for the right time…No, now would be the perfect time. Draco looked over at her and narrowed his eyes. She wasn't saying anything. He didn't know what to make of this situation. If it had been him, and he'd done all of the work to make a top-notch wand while she hadn't even bothered to show up, he wouldn't think twice about exploiting her lack of participation. So why hadn't she done the same?

Professor Sprout was still babbling when Draco turned his attention back to the topic at hand. "…now I have decided, with your permission of course, to enter your wand into the Amateur Division at the World Wand Convention." She paused for a moment to giggle with glee before continuing, "This would mean a weekend trip for both of you to Sydney, Australia, and a chance at the first place prize of 15,000 galleons for the best new wand. Not to mention this would be great publicity for Hogwarts. So, what do you say? Do you want to go?" The woman stopped her speech and took a deep breath. She was met with silence for a few moments before Granger laughed loudly and responded.

"Are you kidding me? Of course we want to go!" She smiled turning to look at Draco for agreement and stopping suddenly at the skeptical look on his face.

_We?_ Draco thought confusedly. _She is letting me claim credit for the wand and go on this trip with her? And since when did she and I become "we"?_

"Wonderful! I'll get everything set with the Headmaster and let you know the details as soon as I get them!" The older woman turned to head for the door but stopped abruptly and spun around, "Oh yes, and one more thing. I was hoping that you two could put together a small presentation on the construction of your wand to show a few of my classes. I think it would be good for the other students to see what you two accomplished. It won't be a big deal, just ten minutes or so…sound good? Okay great." And she was gone.

Hermione turned to follow her professor but was halted by Draco's voice.

"Granger…" he called after her, a hundred questions swirling around in his head.

"Stop," She held her hand up, but didn't turn around to face him, "I only did it for myself…not to help you, so don't act like this matters."

How could giving him a free pass on his grade benefit her? "What do you mean 'for yourself'?" Draco asked.

Hermione huffed and turned to look at him. "Not like it's your business, but I didn't think it would reflect favorably on my character or my grade if I tried to complain to Sprout about your laziness on the day the project was due. She would have wondered why I didn't mention anything to her sooner and I wouldn't have had an answer for that." she looked at him sternly and was about to leave when she decided to add one more bit, "And just so you don't have to ask, I am not about to tell her now that my wand is going to be shown at the WWC. I don't want to risk disqualification, so you should just do us both a favor and pretend like you did your share of the work…smile when she complements you and look like you are just as happy as can be…that would be swell." With that the Gryffindor spun around and left the room in one swift movement.

Draco stayed in the room for a long time, thinking about what Hermione said. Something didn't add up. She was making excuses. But why would she want to help him? Normally he would assume that either his partner feared him or wanted him, but neither of those options seemed plausible. This was Granger after all. Maybe she really did believe what she told him. He wasn't about to complain about it. He knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. If Granger was going to keep her mouth shut he would do as she asked and keep his shut as well. He smiled at his luck and left the classroom feeling decidedly better than he did before the class began.

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At dinner the following Thursday, Draco sat staring pointedly at his plate. Lately, it wasn't safe to let his eyes wander. They always seemed to land on Granger. He couldn't get her out of his head. Whenever he let his mind roam, he would find himself inside one of those disturbing "fantasies" where he and Granger were going at it like lovesick newlyweds. Whenever he actually tried to focus, he found himself wondering why she hadn't told Sprout that he didn't do his share of work on the wand. All in all, he felt like he'd had far too much Granger for his liking.

"What's the matter with you?" Millicent Bullstrode asked from across the Slytherin table.

"What?" Draco said looking up from his plate for the first time in ten minutes.

The hefty black-haired girl set her fork down and narrowed her eyes. "You've been staring at your plate this whole time and you haven't touched a bite…"

"Yeah, what's your point?" Draco snapped feeling annoyed and a little bit defensive.

"My point is…What's the matter with you?" she asked again louder, causing a few other students to stop their conversations and notice his odd behavior.

"Nothing!" he spat looking around at his curious peers. "I just don't like fish," he amended grabbing his fork and poking at the grilled filet on his plate.

"That's not true," Pansy cut in. "He loves fish," she said winking at her friend and sporting a devious grin. "So why don't you tell us what's really bothering you, Draco?"

"Why don't you tell us where you slept last night, Pansy," Draco countered narrowing his eyes at the girl.

"Oh Drake, don't get mad. You're no fun," Pansy replied. "You don't have to say anything. Everyone already knows you're just put off because some girl finally had the sense to turn down your advances."

_What does she know about it?_ he thought bitterly. _I am **not** trying to make any advances._

"Oh Merlin, Millie! Did you see his face? He really does fancy someone! Tell us, Draco. Who's the lucky girl?"

Draco sneered at the two who were so obviously enjoying his embarrassment. "No one," he said turning his eyes away from the girls.

Millicent turned all the way around in her seat to follow his gaze. "Eww, it's a Gryffindor?" she cackled cruelly.

_FUCK!_ Draco screamed in his mind as he realized his gaze had unconsciously sought out Granger. He quickly brought his eyes back to Millicent's. _I can't take this anymore!_ "For the love of Merlin…shut the fuck up, you pestering women! If it bothers you so much, I'll eat the damned fish!" He angrily shoved a piece of the now cold fish into his mouth and had to take a large swallow of milk to get it down.

"Atta boy, Draco," Pansy smiled. "We just want what's best for you."

He responded by growling.

The rest of the meal passed slowly for Draco. He wanted to get up and leave but couldn't find the energy. He sat quietly as the other kids finished and began leaving in groups.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from across the room. Scared gasps muffled the lone violent coughing. Draco jerked his eyes up to seek out the cause of the commotion and was delightedly surprised to find one Ron Weasley leaning over the Gryffindor table coughing. His normally pink face had taken on a horrendous cherry red and his body convulsed with each strangled heave. It appeared he was choking.

Draco curled his lips into an amused smile and watched the idiot get smacked over the back by his frightened housemates. _Serves him right for trying to swallow the whole plate at once_, he thought meanly. He wanted to stand there and watch the bastard cry and make a fool of himself until someone had the sense to cast a retrieval charm, but was robbed the opportunity when Granger stepped behind the redhead and forced the food out manually. He watched in awe as she wrapped her arms around the boy's waist and settled her clasped hands just above his stomach. With quickly forced movements, she thrust his body up and into her own. On the third try the offending carrot shot from Weasley's gagging throat and landed in a water goblet.

A slew of applause erupted from the remaining occupants of the Great Hall as Ron grabbed a nearby glass of water and downed it. He coughed only a few more times before turning to Hermione and gathering her up in a warm and grateful hug. Draco couldn't hear what they were saying above the noisy chatter in the Hall, but he could see Hermione's relieved expression as she rested her head on Weasley's shoulder and rubbed his back in soothing circles. Draco stared at the affectionate pair for a few moments before he had to look away. He felt like he might puke if they didn't stop soon.

Before he knew what he was doing, he found himself marching over to the Gryffindor table. "Granger," he called as he approached the embracing couple.

Hermione looked up at the sound of her name and her eyes met Draco's. She instinctually pushed away from Ron and blushed. She didn't understand why, but hugging Ron in front of Malfoy made her feel guilty…like he was catching her doing something wrong.

Ron turned around and frowned when he saw the Slytherin. He reached over and gripped Hermione's had possessively. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

Draco ignored the redhead altogether and kept his eyes glued to Hermione's. "Can I talk to you?"

Ron jumped in before Hermione could answer, "Why? What do you want from her?"

Draco still ignored him and continued watching Hermione. "Alone?" he asked cocking his head in the direction of the doors.

"Er…" Hermione paused uncomfortably and looked from Draco to Ron. Draco arched his scarred brow impatiently while Ron shook his head. _NO!_ he mouthed angrily.

"…sure, I guess.." Hermione stuttered sending Ron an apologetic shrug. "Just give me a minute," she told Malfoy as he nodded and headed out of the room.

"Hermione, have you gone mad?" Ron asked bending over to look her directly in the eyes. "Why are you going to talk to Malfoy?"

"I don't know…it's probably important if he came up to me during dinner…don't you think?"

"NO!" He was yelling now, "I _don't_ think so. He probably wants to get you alone so he can hex you without anyone around!"

"No he doesn't, Ron" Hermione scoffed. "It'll be fine…he probably just wants to talk about the wand convention or something." Her voice had taken on a soothing tone and she flashed Ron one of her most dazzling smiles. "I'll be fine…I promise," she assured him.

The weird thing was that she didn't know if she _would_ be fine. She couldn't really think of any reason Malfoy would need to talk to her now. They had two classes together tomorrow, so anything relating to school, he could tell her then.

"Fine," Ron huffed, "but you can't go out there looking like _that_," he declared eyeing her partially unbuttoned shit and rolled up sleeves. She looked absolutely _hot_, and he wasn't about to leave her alone with Malfoy until she covered up. He hadn't forgotten Hermione's past with him even if she had. "Put this on," he said offering her his outer robe.

"Okay…" Hermione agreed confusedly. She didn't know why Ron was acting so weird, but she didn't feel like arguing about it either. She slid her arms into the oversized garment and fastened it at the collar.

Draco stood out in the entrance hall pacing slowly. What had he been thinking? He didn't have a clue as to what he "needed" to talk to Hermione about. He hadn't really planned past breaking up that sickening display that she and Weasley were putting on and now she would be here in a few seconds and he didn't have anything to say.

Suddenly the door opened and Hermione emerged along with Weasley. The pair spotted him and Weasley kissed Hermione on the cheek before turning to head up the stairs.

"Remember I'll be right up here when you're done," he said pointing up to the next floor. Draco thought it was more of a warning for him to keep his hands off of Hermione than a message for her.

"Yeah, okay," Hermione said watching the redhead ascend the stairs.

Once he was completely out of view she turned her attention to the waiting boy. "So?" she asked expectantly, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well…" Draco said scrambling to come up with something plausible. "Herbology!" he blurted suddenly. The surprised tone of his voice made him cringe and he immediately corrected himself. "I mean, Herbology…Sprout wants us to do that presentation soon so I thought we should come up with something in case she asks us tomorrow." He congratulated himself for coming up with such a good excuse.

Hermione looked skeptical. She stared at him narrowing her eyes like she was trying to solve some sort of puzzle. "Is this really what you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked doubtfully.

"Of course it is," Draco barked looking around awkwardly. "What else would I want to talk to you about?"

"I don't know…you tell me," she said.

This girl was far too smart for her own good. She'd seen right through his charade and was now demanding answers. The only problem was that Draco didn't have any. He sat down on one of the steps and looked up at the waiting girl. "Look Granger, I just wanted to get this Herbology thing settled, okay?"

Hermione was confused. Malfoy had been acting really weird lately and quite frankly she was sick of it. She wondered if it was because she hadn't turned him in for blowing off their assignment. She thought he would be grateful or at least indifferent, but this whole staring at her and not teasing her thing was really confusing. "Fine," she said after a while, "I'll come up with something tonight and give it to you tomorrow. All you'll have to do is memorize your part…Can you do that?" she asked wrinkling up her brows questioningly. If he wasn't going to say anything about what was on both of their minds then neither was she.

"Yeah," he answered as she nodded agreement and moved to walk passed him up the stairs. _Wait,_ he thought feeling the air move as she passed. He turned to watch her leave and wondered if he would get a chance to talk to her like this again. He wanted her out of his head, but he didn't know what it was that kept her there in the first place. "Wait, Hermione…" he said stopping her departure. "What's the real reason that you didn't tell Sprout about me?" he asked.

Hermione turned and came back down a few stairs. "I already told you the reason, _Malfoy_," she hissed emphasizing his surname.

"I know that wasn't the truth. Telling Sprout that I skipped out wouldn't have made you look bad and you know it. So why didn't you do it?"

Hermione was quite for a while. She searched her mind. _Why didn't I tell on him?_ She wondered.

"I don't know okay?" she said rolling her eyes. "I thought about telling her. I even went to her office, but then I thought how you would fail and I…I guess I felt…" she stopped and stared into his eyes, those same eyes that had glared at her for years, and couldn't bring herself to tell him that seeing him fail would make her feel bad. That would be like admitting that she cared whether he did well or not and she definitely didn't care about that!

Draco watched as Hermione's sentence fell off and her eyes glassed over in thought. _She felt guilty turning me in? Why?_ He asked himself. _Because she's just like that. She likes helping people._ He smiled at that thought and wasn't sure why.

Hermione was still looking at him and he could hear her soft breathing. Suddenly, an image of her panting and kissing him flashed in front of his eyes. He blinked wildly trying to stop himself from slipping into one of his fantasies. Hermione's eyes narrowed questioningly and she opened her mouth like she was going to say something. Draco wondered what she was thinking about, and was pretty sure it didn't involve the two of them naked together. _Why can't I get her out of my head?_ He wondered.

An idea came to him quickly and he decided to act on it before his conscience could tell him otherwise. He stepped closer to Hermione. _I am going to kiss her. I just need to know what it's like_.

She breathed out softly as he leaned closer and closer. Suddenly his heart was pounding. He could feel the heat radiating from her body as he lifted his hand just inches from her face. His finger tips brushed her soft cheek, his lips so close to hers that he could feel her breath on his skin.

It seemed like a slow progression to him, but in real time, his actions happened in a matter of seconds and the moment his fingertips touched Hermione's face, she flinched and pulled away from him.

"What are you doing?" she asked backing away up the stairs.

Draco's eyes snapped open. "…I was…just…" he didn't know how to finish that statement.

"Where you trying to…" It seemed they had both lost the ability to form words. "I'm going to…er…bye," Hermione stammered as she blushed furiously and ran up the stairs.

Draco stood watching her disappear into the darkened halls. _What the bloody hell just happened?_


	14. Ch 14 In the Land of the Blind

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who reviewed this story. I was shocked by the quick responses to the last chapter. I've been dueling some writers block lately and it's been like pulling teeth to get even mediocre chapters out. You're positive words have been so helpful! And of course, thanks for your continued interest in my story!

**Ch 14 In the Land of the Blind**

Hermione ran up all seven floors to the Gryffindor common room. Her heart pounded adrenaline through her veins while her mind tried desperately to force out any thoughts concerning a certain blond Slytherin. She stopped abruptly at the portrait of the Fat Lady, but didn't say the password. Though none would know what just transpired, she didn't feel like facing all of her housemates.

She leaned against the wall next to the portrait and breathed deeply trying to catch her breath. Sprinting up seven flights of stairs can be quite exhausting. She slid down until she sat with her knees pressed up to her chest and her head resting against the cold stone of the wall. With only the sound of her heavy breaths to distract her, the images of her near-kiss with Malfoy crashed into her mind.

_Malfoy tried to kiss me, _she thought frantically. Even as she recited the words, their meaning was lost. She couldn't bring herself to comprehend them. _Malfoy. Tried. To. Kiss. Me._ Perhaps slowing the words down would help her understand. _Malfoy…tried to kiss me?_

And there it was.

A hot blush splashed onto her face as her slowing pulse sped up again. She let herself replay the scene in her head. She'd been about to leave when he called her back (looking completely handsome in the dimly lit front hall). He asked her a question but she couldn't recall it now. All she could remember was the look in his eyes before he leant in to kiss her. He looked curious. No, more than that. He looked…_excited._

Her mind reeled at this discovery. _It couldn't have been excitement, _she rationalized. Malfoy hated her. He hated her and everything she stood for. But it _was_ excitement She'd seen it. So her new question was, why?

Why did he try to kiss her? And why was he excited about it?

The more she tried to understand his actions, the more confused she felt. Upon further consideration, she realized he'd been acting out of character all week. She'd caught him staring at her multiple times over the past few days and he'd seemed almost _pleasant_ when they'd spoken.

In the back of her mind a tiny notion of clarity struggled to free itself from a stifling blanket of denial. Every now and then, that notion would break out of it's restraints for a moment until Hermione realized she was on that dangerous path of thinking and would cover it up again with an excuse.

The most disturbing thought of all came with stabbing ferocity when she realized that her traitorous body had welcomed his pursuance. She cringed as she remembered his searching eyes blink shut and his hot breath on her cheek. She'd known all along what he was going for and what frightened her the most was that she'd almost _let him_.

She felt nauseous at the idea that it could be more than a morbid curiosity to sample the forbidden fruit that drove her to stand so still in the wake of Malfoy's impending kiss. She remembered her trance-like anticipation as his lips neared her own and only the shocking cold of his hands woke her enough to come to her senses and run away.

_Do I like him?_ she wondered dazedly. She certainly liked the way he _looked, _but she didn't think her feelings went much further than that. Or did they?

"Hermione?" a voice interrupted from down the hall.

"Yeah?" she called back, recognizing the voice as belonging to Ron.

He came into view with an angry look on his face.

"Oh Ron, I'm sorry!" she gasped cupping her hands over her mouth. "I completely forgot that you were waiting for me!"

"You forgot?" he asked, the hurt evident on his face. "I was really worried about you. I almost went down to Slytherin when you didn't show up."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she repeated. "I thought I heard something so I ran up here because I was scared," she lied, trying to think of an excuse to spare his feelings.

"You heard something? What was it?" he asked looking around suspiciously.

Guilt avalanched upon her. She looked at his expression and saw how much she meant to him. He had waited for her, probably imagining all sorts of terrible things going on, and then she'd totally blown him off to sit and think about Malfoy "I don't know; it was probably nothing," she replied mechanically.

"You should have found me. I would've walked you back here. It isn't safe for you to be wandering the halls alone at night."

"Ron, it's only eight o'clock," she smiled accepting the hand he offered to help her up.

"I know, but I worry about you," he said meekly, his cheeks coloring slightly.

Hermione smiled and allowed him to direct her in through the portrait hole. His heavy arm rested around her shoulders and she wrapped her arm around his waist. The move was automatic and felt comforting, but somehow…not intimate. It felt like a friendly embrace. _Uh oh,_ she thought, realizing that her feelings for Ron were becoming less and less romantic.

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Draco Malfoy's life was slowly unraveling. At least that's how it felt.

_I'm in love with Granger_, he thought disgustedly as he lay in his bed staring at the ceiling. It was the only thing he could come up with; the only reason that would explain why she was always on his mind.

The weird part was that he didn't even _like_ her that much. She was always studying and answering questions in class (word for word form the text book, no less), hanging out with Potter and Weasley and of course, a mudblood. Sure, she had some redeeming qualities. She was confidant, attractive, and if she was anything like the girl in his fantasies, great in bed…but was this love?

He'd never been in love before. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to feel, but he thought he would at least know the girl a little better than he knew Granger.

He huffed loudly and tried to think of what he really knew about her. _Hmm, Gryffindor, likes to study, friends with Potter and Weasley, hates me…_ and that was about it. _Maybe it's not love after all._ He concluded. He couldn't possibly love someone that he didn't know. _Maybe I'm just obsessed with her._ That was just as unappealing as the love scenario. _I'm not obsessed,_ he thought, but then he realized that he had been laying on his bed thinking about her for over an hour.

_Why did I try to kiss her?_ He wondered angrily. He already knew why, but was just mad about the way it turned out. She wasn't supposed to run away. She was supposed to kiss him back and like it so much that she tore his clothes off and jumped him right there. Okay, so that was probably never going to happen, but he had a hard time believing that the attraction was so one-sided. _She really didn't want me to kiss her?_ He didn't know the answer to that question. She had looked so perfect, so willing. He'd heard her breathing speed up and saw her eyelids flutter charmingly and then she'd flinched at his touch. Actually flinched? Who was this girl?

He stayed like that for a few hours, going over every detail of their meeting. He wondered what would happen tomorrow in class. He had potions and herbology with her. He assumed that she would avoid him and act completely awkward. That's what most girls would do. He wondered if she would even give him the speech that she'd promised to write. Well, there was only one way to find out, and on that note he closed his eyes and slipped into a deep and dreamless slumber.

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"So what's going on with you and Hermione?" Harry asked closing his Transfiguration book and turning to Ron. "Are you together, or not?"

Ron looked up from his parchment and gave Harry a defeated shrug. "I don't know, mate. I want to ask her to…you know…make it if official, but I'm just waiting for the right time." He looked at Harry and laughed at the skepticism he saw in the green-eyed boy's face. "What?" he asked embarrassed.

"The right time?" Harry asked raising his eyebrows and grinning. "Are you sure you're not just scared she might say 'No'?"

"No! Honestly, that's not it!" Ron defended, "I'm going to do it soon. I'm just not sure when. I wanted to do it right away, over the holidays, but then I didn't because of the whole memory loss thing. I wasn't sure if she remembered the last time that we tried dating, so I dropped hints about it until I figured out that she doesn't remember. Then I wanted to do it when we got back to school, but it had already been a while, so I felt like it was awkward or something."

"It won't be awkward," Harry said smiling. "I mean, it _will be_ if you keep putting it off…"

"Well, there's another thing too that's stopping me," Ron interrupted setting down his quill and beginning to roll up his essay. "I never told you this, but last time, when we "dated" for that one day…it didn't work out because…I tried to rush her," he said looking down at his hands and turning the paper over and over.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked confused. How could anyone be _rushed_ when they'd only been dating for a day?

"I don't know, Harry!" Ron sighed. "We were in the common room kissing, and things just…got a little intense and she ended up yelling at me for trying to move too fast and then she avoided me for an entire weekend. I just don't want anything like that to happen again. I'm actually glad that she doesn't remember it. I want to make sure I don't do anything to piss her off this time."

Harry laughed, but wondered if Ron's side of the story was 100 accurate. He was surprised to hear that Ron had tried to go so fast with Hermione. Ron had never been very confidant with the ladies. "Well, you better ask her before she goes on that trip with Malfoy," he advised. "I know she doesn't remember what happened with them, but I am not so sure about him. I've seen him looking at her a lot lately."

Ron's face turned red at that idea. Harry could tell that his words had upset him. "Yeah, I should, shouldn't I?"

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The following morning, Draco left breakfast early to head down to potions. He wanted to use the time to write the lab report he'd neglected. When he got to the room, he went to his seat in the last row and pulled out his parchment. He still had 15 minutes before class. That seemed like enough time.

**Question 1: Explain the physical properties of your potion. Include descriptions of color, odor, thickness, temperature, etc. **

Draco groaned and got to work. He should have done this last night. There was no way he would get all twenty questions answered in time.

Just as he was finishing his answer to the first question, the door creaked open and someone walked in. He would have looked up to see who it was had he not been in such a rush to finish his assignment.

He heard a sharp intake of breath followed by hurried steps back out of the door. Draco was confused. Who would come in to class early just to leave again? He glanced toward the door and saw the very end of some bushy brown hair. _Granger. _So she was going to act awkward and avoid him. He shrugged. He'd expected as much.

When class finally began, Draco noticed that Granger didn't look at him at all. She'd come back just seconds before class began and sat at the very front of the room. She was putting a lot of effort into looking relaxed, but it wasn't working. Anyone who was paying attention would notice that she kept fidgeting with her quill and repositioning herself in her seat.

When class was over, she spent an unnecessarily long time packing up her things and Draco could tell that she was hoping he would leave before her. He let her off the hook and walked out promptly, leaving her to reorganize the books in her bag for a third time before she headed out as well.

Herbology went much the same way. Hermione arrived just as class was starting and sat in the very front of the room. Draco tried not to think about her, but couldn't. The class was so damned boring and her ignoring him only made him more interested. Every time she turned her head in his direction he checked to see if she was looking at him, but she never was.

Draco was glad when class ended. Keeping constant tabs on a person for an hour can be quite draining. He gathered his few belongings and slid out the door hoping to fit in a short nap before dinner.

"Malfoy…" his name caught his attention. He turned to find Granger jogging up to meet him. This was a surprise, especially since she'd given him the cold shoulder all day.

"Yes?" he asked grinning slyly.

"Here's your part of the presentation," she said thrusting a parchment into his hands. "Sprout said we could do it whenever we're ready."

"Okay." Draco took the paper from her and pretended to read it. Granger was so cute, trying to act all businesslike. He glanced up at her and saw that she had her head turned away from him. S_o shy_. He cleared his throat to draw her attention. "When do you want to do it, then?"

"As soon as possible…Monday…would be best," she answered quickly.

"Sounds good," he replied, folding up the paper and putting it in his pocket. "I'll see you then".

He didn't know why he was being so nice to her. Just because he couldn't get her out of his thoughts didn't mean she deserved special treatment. If anything, he should be terrible to her, as punishment for invading is mind.

"Er…yeah, see you" she blushed, losing the battle over her embarrassment, and turned away to head into the castle.

Draco stayed back a few moments allowing her to get a head start. Her red face and awkward stammering was almost painful to watch. _Almost. _

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When Draco reached his common room, he found the place crawling with students. He headed straight up to his bed and cast a silencing charm before lying down to take a nap.

Sleep wouldn't come to him. Instead, he slipped into the most vivid of his fantasies to date. This time, he saw himself throwing Hermione up against a trophy case and ripping her clothes off. He felt a painful anticipation to take her and could sense her arousal as well.

Being suspended in this fantasy was a strange sensation. Draco was awake and knew that he was lying in bed, but he also felt like he was in the trophy room with Granger. He saw himself kissing her and on his lips, he could taste her cherry lip gloss.

His first instinct was to try and stop the fantasy; to pull himself out of it, but her soft panting breaths and hot tight skin convinced him otherwise. He was growing hard in his restrictive trousers, so he slipped them off and threw them aside. With his last ounce of self control, before embracing the fantasy wholeheartedly, Draco cast a locking spell on the door and closed his eyes.

Ten minutes later, he found himself sweaty, out of breath, and confused. He looked down at his boxer shorts and grimaced at the sticky mess beginning to soak through the material. He got up and cleaned himself off while wondering how it was possible to have one of the best orgasms of his life without being touched. The situation was entirely weird.

And why were the fantasies always with Granger? Why couldn't he have fantasies about a girl who he could actually get into his bed? This was so unfair. He needed to find something to take his mind off of her.

Heading down to the common room, Draco ran into Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott.

"Hey Drake," Nott greeted him. "You playing poker tonight?"

Draco smiled realizing this was just what he needed. "Will there be beer?"

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That night Hermione sat in the Gryffindor common room hanging out and playing games with her housemates. A group sat in a circle each with the name of a famous witch or wizard stuck to their foreheads. Each took turns asking questions to help them guess who they were. Hermione smiled as she looked around the room. Ron was Bertie Bott, Harry was Helga Hufflepuff, Ginny was Rita Skeeter and Seamus was Merlin himself.

"Am I a ghost?" Hermione asked her fifth question in the round. After receiving nods and yeses from the group she wagered a guess. "Am I the Fat Friar?"

Everyone laughed and it turned out she was, in fact, the Fat Friar. She smiled and watched as the rest of the group slowly guessed who they were.

When the game ended the group dispersed and Hermione stood up to stretch her legs.

"Hey…Hermione, can I talk to you for a second?" Ron asked reaching out for her hand and directing her away from the others.

"Sure, what is it?" she wondered, following him into the corner of the room.

"Well, I was hoping that tonight we could…" but he was interrupted by the small pop of an elf appearing in the room

"Hold that thought," Hermione smiled as she knelt down and addressed the house elf. "Can I help you?" she asked politely.

"Miss Granger's presence is requested by Professor Sprout in her office as soon as possible," it stated before bowing slightly and disappearing.

Hermione furrowed her brow in confusion and glanced at the clock. 9:30? _What would Sprout need with me at this hour?_

"Well, it looks like I have to go," she stated circling around to face a fidgeting Ron. "Oh, right," she said remembering that he'd pulled her aside for a reason. "What was it you wanted to tell me?"

"Oh, it wasn't important," Ron said shaking his head. "I can tell you later."

Hermione smiled again and gave the tall boy a small hug before grabbing her cloak and heading out the door.

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Hermione stood outside the intricately carved door to Professor Sprout's office. She noticed a soft orangey light outlining its edges and raised her hand to knock quietly.

"Come in!" came Professor Sprout's voice from somewhere within.

Hermione pushed the door aside to reveal a humble little room containing a cluttered desk and glowing fireplace.

"Oh, Miss Granger, I'm glad you could make it. I hope I didn't interrupt any big Friday-night plans," the older woman greeted as she shuffled a large stack of papers into a drawer.

"Oh, no Professor," Hermione said smiling cordially, "I was just hanging out in my common room."

She examined her surroundings as she lingered uncomfortably in the doorway. She'd never been in this office before and found it to be perfectly fitting for the teacher in question. One wall boasted shelves filled with potted plants and plant-related books while another sported a giant painting of a badger burrowing in a sea of tall grass.

"Well, do come in," Sprout said motioning to a chair. "Have a seat while we wait for Mr. Malfoy."

Hermione cocked an eyebrow at the mention of Malfoy but moved to sit down nonetheless. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Professor Sprout retrieved her reading glasses from the cord hanging around her neck and settled them into place. "Well, it's about the wand convention, dear, but I only want to go over this once, so I will tell you all the details once Mr. Malfoy arrives."

Hermione nodded and folded her hands in her lap. She hoped Malfoy showed up soon. As much as she enjoyed school, this was not how she wanted to spend her Friday night.

Five minutes passes before another knock was heard on the door. Both Sprout and Hermione startled at the sharp break of the silence.

"Come on in," Sprout called, as she'd done before.

Hermione turned around and watched as the door opened and Malfoy slinked in. He looked paler than usual and his eyes were certainly redder.

"Hello, Mr. Malfoy. Thank you for coming," Sprout chirped.

"No sweat," he nodded as he headed for the only available chair in the room and collapsed into it.

The pungent smell of alcohol swept across the room. Hermione wrinkled up her nose and glared sideways at the Slytherin. _He is going to be in so much trouble,_ she thought as she turned to witness Sprout's reaction.

"Well, let's get down to business, shall we?" Sprout began, handing each of them a piece of paper. She either didn't notice that Draco was completely pissed or didn't care. "I have just been informed that the amateur wand competition has been moved from next Thursday to tomorrow night. I would have told you sooner, but I only just received the owl. That means that you will need to be ready to leave tomorrow morning at 6 AM. I know this is extremely sudden, but I am hoping you will still want to attend."

"Of course, Professor," Hermione answered quickly. She didn't really care if the convention was right now, she just wanted to go.

Draco mumbled an affirmation as well and Sprout continued to explain all of the details of the trip.

Ten minutes later Draco and Hermione were ushered out of the room by an exhausted Professor Sprout. "Now don't lose those itineraries I gave you and I'll see you two in the morning," she said as she closed the door behind them.

Haunted by the memory of the last time she and Malfoy were alone in the halls at night, Hermione cleared her throat and hurried off in the direction of her dorm. She didn't even turn around at the loud argument that Malfoy was having with a nearby suit of armor.

"What are you looking at?" he said to the 14th century armor before kicking it hard in the breastplate. The metal suit didn't budge and this only served to anger him further. "Cunt!" he yelled at the helmet and punched it hard between the eyes. The skin on his knuckles tore open and he called out in pain. The loud clang of the helmet hitting the ground echoed through the quiet halls and seemed to satisfy Draco enough to leave it alone.

Turning away from his victim, Draco tucked his bleeding hand into his cloak sleeve and headed toward the stairway. He saw Hermione standing there waiting for the stairs to switch into place. She had her back turned to him and seemed to be working very hard to ignore him.

"So you were just going to run off and leave me like this?" he asked Hermione's back. She didn't respond. "Hmm, wouldn't be the first time…I s'pose it means fuck all to you if I bleed to death." He laughed and acted like the two were in a conversation. "You'd probably like it, if I died. Then you wouldn't have to worry about the big bad pureblood always trying to…"

"Malfoy!" Hermione interrupted spinning around to face him. "Can you please stop talking?"

Draco didn't answer. He smiled, an actual real smile, and leaned on the wall next to her. "Oh Granger," he sighed, "you act like you're mad, but you like it."

Hermione paled. She turned her back to him once more. How was she supposed to respond to that? She looked up at the stair case that still sat at the wrong landing. _Why, of all nights, is it taking so long to move?_

"I know what this is all about," Draco huffed, sliding down the wall until he sat on the ground. "This frigid-bitch act."

Hermione cocked her head a little in his direction whilst trying to remain unaffected.

"It's about the other night, right?"

The hairs stood up on the back of her neck, and Hermione felt especially uncomfortable. _Why is he bringing that up_?

"It didn't mean…" his sentence fell off as he rubbed his forehead with his good hand. "I was just trying to…get you out of my head." He looked up at the Gryffindor and watched as she slowly turned to face him.

Hermione looked into the eyes of the confused boy below her. "What did you say?"

Malfoy pushed off the ground and stood up. He kept her gaze as he positioned himself directly in front of her. "I can't get you out of my head."

Hermione felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. _What is he saying?_

"Just let me try it," he whispered, moving his cut hand to rest on her waist. "I just need to see."

"You're drunk," Hermione answered pulling back from his touch.

He wouldn't give up so easily. "So?" he smiled pulling her back into him. "It doesn't change anything."

Hermione turned her head away from him. What was she supposed to do? She felt his other hand touch her face.

"Look at me," he told her as he turned her face towards his.

Suddenly the loud gravely rumble of the moving stairway sounded in the hall.

Hermione jumped out of Draco's hold and turned in time to see the bottom steps align with the ground. "I need to get back," she whispered, facing away from him. She glanced over her shoulder quickly before running up the stairs.

Malfoy stood at the bottom and watched as she disappeared from the top step. He rolled his eyes impatiently and grumbled something about her 'doing it again' before yawning loudly and heading back towards his own house.

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_I can't believe he did it again!_ Hermione thought as she neared the portrait of the Fat Lady. Her heart raced in her chest and she noted that it'd been doing that since Malfoy first uttered those ludicrous words. _I can't get you out of my head? What did he mean by that?_ Was that the same thing as "I think about you a lot"? Did he _fancy_ her?

She suddenly felt extremely unsure about spending the weekend with only him and Sprout for company.

Once inside the common room, she headed straight for her dorm. She felt like she'd been electricuted and she really needed to do some thinking.

"Hermione!" came the familiar voice of Ron Weasley. "I've been waiting for you," he said, standing up from a nearby chair.

"Oh, hi Ron," she said distracted. She gave him a small smile as she started up the stairs to her room. "I'm really tired. I'm just going to go to bed."

"Wait," he said coming to stand by the stairs. "What did Sprout want?"

Hermione realized she was being extremely rude, so she leaned over the banister to give Ron her full attention. "Apparently the wand convention got moved up and she needed to let me and Malfoy know. I have to leave tomorrow at six in the morning."

"Oh, wow that's early," he smiled reaching up to play with her hand. "I'm going to miss you," he said blushing slightly.

Hermione felt guilty once again. She knew Ron liked her and she used to think that she felt the same, but lately her feelings were changing. She glanced around the room when she couldn't think of anything to say. How could she tell him without ruining their friendship?

"I have something I've been meaning to ask you," Ron said suddenly as he threaded his fingers through hers. "Can you come down here?"

She nodded and felt all of the blood leave her face as she walked back down the stairs. She had a feeling she knew what was coming.

As soon as she reached the ground Ron captured her other hand and looked directly into her eyes. "Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked with more confidence than she would have expected.

"Er…" she hesitated looking around again for a way out. "…sure," she said awkwardly bringing her eyes back up to his. _No, not "sure" Hermione!_ _What have you done?_

Ron laughed happily and pulled her in for a celebratory kiss.

"I'm glad that's settled," he said after the two separated. "Well, I guess I'll let you get off to bed. You've got an early morning."

"Yeah, thanks," Hermione smiled as she pulled away and went up the stairs. "I'll see you when I get back," she said when she reached her room. _What a disaster. _


	15. Ch 15 Boyfriends are like Keepers

**As always, thanks to my reviewers…and to those just reading :)**

**Chapter 15 Boyfriends are like Keepers**

"You look like hell."

"Piss off."

Not exactly a friendly exchange, but better than these two were used to. Hermione glanced at her watch 6:02. _We should be gone by now._

She and Draco sat in the front hall waiting for Professor Sprout to show up. Hermione sat wide awake having drank a large cup of tea, while Draco lay curled up on the ground using his robe for a blanket.

"You smell too," Hermione noted, "like an ashtray."

"And you smell like an old rotting corpse. Now, piss off."

Hermione huffed and looked around for something to amuse herself. She found nothing and resolved to stare off into space.

What would this weekend hold in terms of her interaction with Malfoy? She'd been nervous about seeing him after the way he'd acted last night. Her first instinct had been to give him the silent treatment, but that would make for an extremely long weekend. She decided to set the tone for the both of them by acting as if nothing had changed. _Well, something had changed._ She'd been a little more forthright with her rudeness than she had in the past. She felt minutely embarrassed, but shrugged it off. It was her privilege after he'd been such an idiot.

So far, her plan seemed to be working. Of the five words the two had shared, none seemed particularly uncomfortable.

"Oh good, you're here," Professor Sprout appeared around a corner. "Are you ready to go?"

Hermione stood and nodded gathering up her overnight bag.

"Mr. Malfoy? Wake up dear," Sprout coaxed the sleeping Slytherin.

"Here, you just have to..." Hermione said as she kicked Malfoy in the shin. "Get up!" she ordered.

Sprout looked appalled

"That's the kind of wake up he's used to at home," she smirked as Draco shot her an irritated glare.

"No, Granger, you're thinking of yourself," he mumbled.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Good come back...prat."

"Children, please!" Sprout intervened. "I hope your aren't planning to behave like this all weekend. Let's try to leave the bickering here, shall we? Remember, you're a _team_."

Hermione and Draco glanced at each other but remained silent.

"Now let's get going."

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"Here are your keys," Professor Sprout explained as she pointed out the rooms. "Draco you're 712, Hermione – 714, and I am 716. Now go get cleaned up. We only have half an hour until we are supposed to set up our booth."

The trio had taken a portkey to the beautiful Blue Scales Hotel right along Darling Harbour in downtown Sydney. To the outside observer, or muggle-eye, the hotel looked like an abandoned construction project. Malfoy had commented on the structure when they approached, referring to it as "a complete dump." He'd been forced to eat his words when they entered into the decadently posh hotel lobby.

Hermione looked at her watch. 6:30 AM; that meant it was 3:30 PM here. She slid the key into place and entered her room. She was impressed by both its size and elegance. Sighing happily, she threw her bag on one of the chairs and lay down on the large bed. Traveling as a wizard was so much better than traveling as a muggle. If she'd come with her parents, she'd still be on a plane for another eight hours.

After changing into a more sophisticated outfit and washing her face, Hermione emerged from her room. She was surprised to see Draco waiting for her in the hall.

"Where's Sprout?" she asked closing her door securely.

"She's already gone down to the ballroom," Draco replied. Hermione was thrown by his amicable tone and wondered if she hadn't jumped the gun in her assumption that they were going to play their usual parts of indignant Gryffindor muggleborn versus racist Slytherin pureblood.

"It's too bad we don't have adjoining rooms…" Draco stated as the pair headed for the lifts.

Hermione froze._ What does that mean?_ She was not prepared for Malfoy to start this again. _Don't you know we're supposed to be pretending last night didn't happen?_ "Oh? And why's that?" she bit out.

"'Cause then I'd be able to come over tonight and smother you in your sleep." He smiled warmly and bent in an 'after you' pose as the lift doors slid open.

"Very funny. How long did it take you to come up with that?" she asked turning her face to hide the blush that had appeared when she thought he was coming on to her.

He followed her into the confined space, ignoring her remark. "What's this? Are you blushing, Granger?" he asked maneuvering around to get a look at her face.

Hermione scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Of course not," she said sharply.

"You _are_ blushing," he grinned. "What's the matter? Hoping I wanted to come to your room for another reason?"

"No thank you, Malfoy" she snapped. "Although it wouldn't surprise me." Hermione suddenly realized that this conversation was terribly wrong. It seemed more like flirty banter than their usual verbal warfare. She blushed again at the thought that he might think she was _enjoying_ this, or worse yet doing it on purpose. Glancing at her watch she decided that her original course of action may have been a mistake. After all, she didn't really know Malfoy very well and bickering could be a turn on for him. She decided it might not be a bad idea to give the silent treatment a try. Squaring her shoulders, she cleared her throat and marched pointedly out of the lift as soon as the doors opened into the lobby.

The pair followed the signs that read, "World Wand Convention: Alexa Ballroom" and found the giant room filled with chattering wizards, cloth covered tables, and a large stage. To the right of the door was a registration booth in which Draco and Hermione checked in and got their name tags.

The tags themselves were round golden badges strung on a black cord. Hermione examined hers and then slipped it on like a necklace. It read, in three centered lines, "Hermione Granger, Amateur Division, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry". Draco's was identical except it boasted the name "Drago Malfoy".

"Excuse me, but my name is Dra-co not Dra-go," he complained eying the name tag with a look of severe irritation. The elderly witch behind the table only shrugged in response and informed him that she was not in charge of name tag corrections, just registration.

"Well, can you tell me who is in charge of corrections?" he asked in one of his condescending tones.

The woman drew her lips into a tight little line and shook her head. "I'm sorry but Mrs. Pennyfluff left at three o'clock- when registration was supposed to be over; since you are _late_, there's not much you can do," she informed them.

Grumbling, Draco shoved the tag into his pocket and turned to leave the damnable woman.

"Young man," she called to his retreating back, "you need to wear your tag at all times please. It's how we identify participants."

Draco was sure that she was just doing this to spite him, but he complied nonetheless. "Alright!" he huffed, tearing the tag from his pocket and making a production of draping it over his head. "Happy?" he asked the woman, who nodded curtly in reply.

The duo navigated through the room until they found Sprout fussing over the layout of a sparsely littered table. Their wand sat in the center of the table on a small wooden stand. A parchment hovered directly behind it explaining its characteristics while two more framed parchments stood on either side. Each of these had a paragraph-long description of the wand's creators: Hermione and Draco.

"How do you think that looks?" Sprout asked Malfoy who was attempting to magic his nametag into reading his correct name.

"Great," he answered without even looking up at the table in question.

"Well, I have everything under control here," Professor Sprout told them. "Feel free to check out the competition."

Hermione nodded and turned to wander off to the right, while Draco did the same to the left.

The room was huge and probably boasted fifty tables just like theirs. Hermione walked around in absolute astonishment. She was surprised to see there was this much competition. She inspected the wands displayed at each table as she passed. Sometimes she stopped and read the descriptions and sometimes she watched a demonstration.

After a lap around the room and only one run in with Malfoy (in which he transfigured her name tag into a tarantula while testing out a wand), she found herself back at her table chatting with Professor Sprout.

"The judges will be visiting our table soon," Sprout informed her. "Have you seen Mr. Malfoy? They'll want to talk to both of you, I expect." The older woman looked around impatiently. "I'm just going to see if I can't find him," she decided as she bustled off in the direction of the stage.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Malfoy was probably back up in his room napping.

Soon, a group of spectators approached her table and began examining her wand. They passed it around between them and asked a few questions about its make and special properties. She fielded the questions with ease.

As the first group left and another drew near, Hermione decided she liked the Wand Convention very much.

By the time the third group approached, she was beaming with barely restrained pride.

The group consisted of three boys, all appearing to be about her age. Two were tall with black hair and one was burly with sandy brown hair.

"Hello…eh…Hermione," said the brown haired boy, squinting his eyes as he read her name tag. "What have you got here?"

Smiling, Hermione went into a short explanation of her wand before pausing to give the boys a chance to ask questions.

"Wow, that's really interesting," drawled one of the black haired boys whose name tag read, "Hayward Rennington, visitor".

"Yes, it is," said the other, who Hermione realized must have been Hayward's brother because his tag read, "Judson Rennigton, Amateur Division, Independent Affiliate".

"Thank you," said Hermione, unsure of how to continue. "Erm…do you have a wand in the competition?"

"Yes, our table is over there near the door," the brown haired boy replied pointing in the direction of his table. His name appeared to be "Camden Haights". "But, that's all very boring. What we want to know is…are you staying in the hotel?"

Hermione felt the weight of three sets of eyes watching her for a reply. "Yes, but just for the night. We're heading back to Scotland tomorrow after the award ceremony."

"Well, that's alright. What are you doing tonight?" Camden asked moving around the edge of the table to stand right next to Hermione.

"Erm…" she stuttered again, "I don't know…" These boys seemed like they were interested in a little more than just some friendly company.

"We're going to the bar next to the lobby. There's a party for convention participants. We could pick you up after dinner if you like. What room are you in?"

Hermione began to feel extremely uncomfortable. The two black haired boys had fallen silent and were currently leering at her with creepy grins. Camden, the apparent ringleader, was standing far too close for comfort and doing his best to molest her with his eyes. "N-no thank you," she said concentrating on keeping her voice level. She didn't have much experience turning down boys since she couldn't remember the last time she'd been asked out at all. "I don't think my professor would…"

"Oh, come on. Don't worry about _that_. What are you going to do? Sit in your room all night alone? A beautiful girl like you?"

Hermione blushed. She wasn't flattered in the least by the persistent efforts of her admirers, but she wasn't used to being called beautiful either. "I'm not sure what I'll be doing, and thank you for the invitation, but I think I will wait to make a decision. Perhaps I'll meet you there," she said attempting to placate the trio enough to leave her alone.

"What's the matter? You have a boyfriend or something?" Hayward asked accusingly.

Hermione's heart tightened in her chest at his tone. She could feel the blood rush from her face. "Actually, yes I do…he's…"

"Oh that doesn't matter," Camden interrupted turning around to shoot a look at Hayward. "Boyfriends are like keepers...even when they're there, you can still score." He moved like he was going to grab her hand as his cronies broke into boorish laughter.

Hermione pulled a face of disgust and tore her hand off the table where it had been resting. She felt trapped and embarrassed and wished that the boys would just leave her alone. _Where is Professor Sprout when you need her?_ She panicked trying to look past the tall boys for any sign of her.

Suddenly, she was pulled backwards sharply and a large body was positioned in between her and the trio. "What's going on here?" Draco asked staring pointedly at the three glowering strangers.

"Eh…nothing," Hermione said to his back as she peered around his shoulder. She couldn't remember ever being glad to see him before, but now she was grateful for his presence and she leaned closer him unconsciously. "These three were just about to…"

"Is this him?" Camden asked keeping his eyes glued on Draco. "Your boyfriend?"

Before she could answer, Draco stepped toward the boy and narrowed his eyes into a cold stare that only a Malfoy could master. "And what's it to you?" he asked now face to face with the shorter but sturdier Camden.

For a few tense moments the two males stared at one another in some sort of primitive battle of wills. A thick blanket of tension settled over the small space around them. It looked like they were going to duel right there, and Hermione sincerely hoped they wouldn't. The last thing she wanted was a show of machismo for her honor which would undoubtedly end in both embarrassment and expulsion from the convention.

She tugged minutely on the robe sleeve that fell loosely by Draco's side. "Malfoy…just…"

But she didn't need to continue. The tension was broken as Camden curled his mouth up into an ugly sneer and glanced from Hermione back to Malfoy. "Don't worry there, Drag-o," he chuckled as he read Draco's name, "We were just leaving." And with that the three turned around and stalked off.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as she watched them retreat. _What bastards_, she thought angrily.

"You alright?" Draco asked turning around to look her over.

"Yeah, I'm good," Hermione answered trying her best to look composed instead of shaken.

He nodded and waited until she released the bit of sleeve she'd still been holding.

The pair stood in uncomfortable silence for a few seconds until Draco pulled his nametag off over his head and chucked it on the table. "Well, that's it…I'm not wearing this sodding name tag anymore."

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"Granger! Open the door!"

"Just hold on! I'm not ready."

"For what? What are you doing in there?"

Draco could hear the sound of hurried footsteps and ruffling sheets.

"I'm just…getting…dressed!"

Her voice grew louder as she approached the door. He saw the knob turn and the door was pulled open to reveal an out of breath Hermione Granger.

"What's your problem?" she asked blocking the doorway so Malfoy couldn't get in. She hadn't expected him. She'd been enjoying some recreational reading in a bubble bath when he'd come calling.

"Nothing except, I'm standing out in the hall, where anyone can see, with this!" he replied holding up the bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey.

"Oh!" Hermione gasped, surprised that Malfoy would choose to visit her at all, let alone bring over alcohol. "You shouldn't have that. What if Sprout finds out?" she asked moving aside at Draco's impatient glare.

"She won't," he promised setting the bottle down on the bedside table and falling down into the soft chair next to it. "Now Granger, lets get pissed."

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It'd taken some convincing to get Hermione to take that first swig of whiskey. She told him that she didn't drink and he said it didn't matter. She said she hated whiskey and he poured them both a glass. She said he was a bad influence and he said she was scared.

Needless to say, two hours later Hermione and Draco had finished the bottle and were rolling on the floor laughing at the confession she'd just made.

"Really?" he asked wiping a tear from his eye. "You dreamt about spanking Snape with a spoon?" and the two started laughing again.

"Yes well, we were in his lab…I had to improvise," she replied pushing up off the floor and reaching for the whisky bottle. "Looks like it's all gone," she told him turning it upside as proof.

"Let's go down to that bar those three arseholes told you about," Draco suggested, pulling himself off the ground and helping her up as well. "I'm sure there's plenty more down there."

"I don't know if I should go anywhere with you," she told him trying to keep a straight face. The alcohol seemed to make her usual hatred for this boy seem inconsequential. "You're not to be trusted."

"And getting drunk with me alone in your room is much better?" he countered giving her a skeptical look.

"You're absolutely right," Hermione said. "At least at the bar there'll be witnesses." She turned toward her suitcase and began rummaging through it, "just let me change first. I wasn't planning on going out tonight."

"What's wrong with what you've got on?" Draco asked eying the tank top and sweat pants.

"These are pajamas, Malfoy," she laughed as she discovered some jeans. "They're sloppy," she told him.

"They're sexy," he countered watching as she rolled her eyes and went into the bathroom to change.

Once safely inside the bathroom, Hermione dropped her clothes to the ground and leaned against the door. _They're sexy?_ She could feel the color heating up her face and she took three deep breaths before standing upright and heading over to the sink.

She stared at her reflection and wondered what was going on. She was actually having a good time with Malfoy. Something she would never have expected to happen. She wondered why he was being so cool. He hadn't picked a fight with her once (even when she made fun of his perfectly constructed outfit).

Perhaps he'd wanted to have some fun and didn't have any other options. No, he would have just gone to the bar without her and chatted up some girls with low self esteem.

Maybe he was still trying to "get her out of his head".

She breathed out slowly. That was probably it. He'd been different for a while now. Not just today or last night. He wanted something from her. Maybe it was just a kiss, or maybe it was some sort of rebellion against his racist father. All she knew was that at this moment, she didn't much care. The whisky had created a warm humming in her head and she was having a good time. She wasn't going to stop just because her overactive mind was overreacting.

"How long does it take to change your bloody clothes?" Draco yelled through I door, "I'm sobering up out here."

Hermione smirked and quickly dressed before opening the door and fixing Draco with a sly smile. "Let's go."

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"Last call," the barman shouted, resorting to a sonorous charm to be heard over the loud music and talking. "Last call for alcohol."

Draco was in the middle of a heated discussion with an Italian fellow about which quidditch team was going to the World Cup this year, while Hermione danced on the dance floor with a coed group from the convention.

Hearing the last call, Draco excused himself from his debating partner and went up to the bar to get another drink.

"Granger!" he called motioning for her to join him at a table. "Come over here and have one last drink."

She complied and danced all the way across the room until she stood right next to Draco's table. "What are these?" she asked eying the two half pints of dark lager and two shot glasses.

"Irish car bombs," Draco replied. "They're a muggle drink. You drop the shot into the beer and then chug the whole thing."

Hermione raised an eyebrow skeptically. "I don't know if I can chug the whole thing. Can't I just drink it slow?"

"No!" he laughed handing her a shot and a beer. "If you wait too long it will curdle," he informed her. "Now quit being prissy and let's do this already!"

On the count of three both teens dropped their shots into their glasses and lifted them up to drink. Draco finished his in about half a minute, while Hermione was having a harder time.

"Don't stop!" Draco ordered as beer began to drip down the sides of her mouth.

A minute later Hermione was slamming the glass down on the table and cheering loudly for her success.

"Nice job," Malfoy said, tossing an arm around her shoulders. "Now, let's get out of here, their closing up."

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"Malfoy…stop laughing…it's not funny!" Hermione whispered loudly as she dug through her pockets again. "It's not here! What am I going to do?"

Draco leaned against his door and laughed harder. He didn't know why, but Hermione losing her key was absolutely hilarious. "Try…try alohomora," he proposed.

Hermione retrieved her wand from her back pocket and pointed it at the door. "Aloha-alohomora," she stuttered.

Nothing happened.

"Alohomora," she tried again. The door remained locked. "Oh, I can't do it," she whined turning toward Draco, "I'm too drunk!"

Draco burst out laughing even harder. "You should see your face right now," he explained, "You're so pathetic."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Bugger off, Malfoy! I'm locked out."

"Don't worry," he said straightening up and retrieving his own key from his pocket. "You can sleep in my room."

Hermione stopped breathing. Sleep in _his _room.

Even through her drunken haze, she could tell she had a major decision to make. On the one hand, she'd have a warm bed to sleep in and would be safe from the wrath of Professor Sprout, but on the other hand, she'd be spending the night with Malfoy…in his room.

"Don't look so scandalized," Malfoy drawled, "You're sleeping on the floor." And with that he reached out, captured her hand, and pulled her toward his open door.

Looking back on that night, Hermione realized that what happened next was inevitable.

She was so drunk and clumsy that she tripped over her own feet and was only saved from face planting by Draco's arms catching her around the waist.

"You're okay," he said, lifting her carefully so she could find her footing.

But she couldn't find her footing; she was out of breath and too busy focusing on the fact that her hands had landed perfectly on his chest.

His heart beat sped up under her palms.

"Sorry," she mumbled, staring at her hands. His warm breath dusted her forehead and almost imperceptibly, his arms tightened around her. She jerked her head upwards in surprise.

"'s alright," he said in a low gravely voice, his clear grey eyes seeking out her own.

She wanted to look away, to be the shy girl she'd always been, but he wouldn't let her. His gaze captured her and held her there, unwilling to let go.

This was it. She was going to kiss him and everything would change. She knew it and so did he. He blinked his eyes once, releasing her from his trance, and lowered his head until their lips were mere inches apart.

Hermione moved her head to complete the kiss of which her skin was now prickling in anticipation. Just as her eyes blinked closed, the quiet "ding" of the lift arriving froze her in place. "Malfoy," she whispered, her lips ghosting against his.

She felt him stiffen and pull back a little to look at her once more. "Is this the part where you change your mind and run away?"

Hermione furrowed her brow and glanced quickly over her shoulder. "Erm…no," she said, running a hand through her curly locks and breathing deeply as if trying to gather the courage to say something. "It's just that…well, we're in the hall and…your room's right there…so I thought…"

And Draco immediately understood. He laughed heartily and reached for her once again, dragging her all the way into his room and kicking the door shut behind them.

"Better?" he asked moving his hands to settle on either side of her face.

He pressed his body into hers and rejoiced when he felt her arms circle around his hips. Something about this just felt _right._ It felt _incredible_. Just as good as it'd felt in his fantasies.

"Much," she agreed leaning into him.

And then he was kissing her.

His lips were hungry and demanding and Hermione found herself pleasantly surprised by his urgency. He tasted like smoke and smooth liquor. She briefly wondered if she tasted the same. She tried her best to keep up with his rapid pace and was surprised yet again when she found herself pinned up against the door receiving full open-mouthed kisses.

She hadn't remembered moving backwards, and she certainly didn't remember un-tucking his shirt so she could slide her fingers over the hot skin underneath, but there she was.

And it was there against that door, panting into the mouth of her childhood enemy, that Hermione Granger first felt passion.

A rolling wave of heat gushed from inside her chest to deep within her stomach, stopping between her legs and causing her to twitch in craving for something she'd never yet experienced. As if on cue, Draco reached behind her knee and drew her leg up to settle around his waist. He shifted so that his body filled the space where her leg had been, and she gasped in response to the added stimulation.

His kisses stayed focused and Hermione could not concentrate on any rational thought. She gave herself over to her instincts. She curled her fingers when his tongue swept over her bottom lip and lost her breath when one of his palms brushed past her breast.

She couldn't protest when he moved his mouth to her neck and gave long slow kisses under her ear. She laid her arms over his shoulders and relaxed letting the door support most of her weight. Her head rolled back and the only things running through her mind were the warmth of his breath and the softness of his lips.

He stayed in that position, attending to the delicate skin along her throat, while his hands slid down over her body to some lower destination.

It wasn't until Hermione heard the tell-tale jingle of her belt being loosened, that she noticed how far things had gone. Here she was: shirt pushed up, hair disheveled, leg positioned on Malfoy's waist, and his hands slipping into the front of her jeans.

"Wait," she said bringing her fingers to close around his explorative hands.

He stood there for a moment, hands still inside her jeans, breathing deep heavy breaths.

"Granger," he growled pulling his hands up and resting them on her hips, "You're killing me." He leaned closer to her and for a fleeting moment she thought he would kiss her again. Instead, he pressed his forehead against hers.

"I'm sor.." she began, but was cut off my a quick breath from Malfoy.

"Don't say you're sorry," he told her pulling away a little and meeting her eyes. "Just…don't be sorry."

She gave him a small smile, but really felt monumentally awkward. She had just experienced one of the most intense snogging sessions of her life and now she was expected to remember proper speech functions? Not likely.

Draco didn't seem to notice her embarrassment. He nodded as if he had come to terms with something and pushed off from her completely. "Well, if you're going to sleep here, you'll need something to wear," he said, striding off toward his suitcase. He produced a white undershirt and some cotton pajama bottoms, "You can wear these," he suggested, thrusting them in her direction.

Hermione looked at the offering with amazed confusion. "Er…okay."

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Draco was in a clothing store. It looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. "I don't understand. There is no money left?" he asked the shrewd saleswitch behind the counter.

"That's what I am telling you…you're broke. You're vaults have been cleaned out!"

"But that's impossible!" he argued digging in his pockets for a few galleons, "I'm Draco-fucking-Malfoy. I have more money than anyone!"

"Not anymore," the woman cackled ripping the tie that Draco was purchasing out of his hands.

Draco growled in frustration and slammed his head on the counter.

"Get up, Mr. Malfoy," the woman said. "Can you hear me?" She knocked loudly on the _door?_

Draco blinked open his eyes. He was not in a store at all but on the floor of a bedroom.

"Mr. Malfoy? Are you awake?" came the voice that was _not _a bitchy saleswitch, but rather Professor Sprout.

"Fuck!" Draco gasped jumping to his feet and staring at the door.

The knocking came again and Draco's heart thumped loudly in his chest. He turned toward the bed to see a sleeping Hermione Granger begin to stir.

Thinking fast her ran over to her and shook her awake.

"Wha.." she startled, but was cut off by Draco clapping a hand over her mouth.

"Please open the door, Draco," came Sprouts voice again.

Both Hermione and Draco whipped their heads in the voice's direction and froze.

**This chapter had so many forms along the way, but I decided on this version. It is totally fluffy but I think it sort of goes back to the original style of this story. Also…if it seems that Draco is terribly OOC in this chapter, just remember that he has been fantasizing about Hermione for a while now and is nearly convinced that he's in love with her. **


	16. Ch 16 The Squeaky Wheel

**Ch 16 The Squeaky Wheel**

"Mr. Malfoy? Are you awake?" Professor Sprout's voice sounded loudly through the solid oak door while Draco and Hermione sat on the bed in a frozen panic.

"Er…Professor?" Draco said in a convincingly groggy voice.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy. It's time to get up. Could you please open the door?" Sprout was sounding a little bit impatient.

"Just a minute," Draco answered.

Hermione shot him a look that said "NO WAY!" while violently shaking her head.

Draco shrugged helplessly. What the hell was he supposed to say?

He stood up off the bed while Hermione looked around for somewhere to hide. Before her mind had a chance to start working, Draco was pulling her up and toward the door.

"Malfoy!" she whispered urgently while trying to pull herself out of his grip. Was he going to turn her in? "What are you doing? Let me go!"

"Shh!" he ordered dragging her all the way up to the door.

Just as he was reaching for the handle, he threw her onto the wall in front of him. "Hold still," he whispered as he drew his wand and cast a disillusionment charm on her.

Hermione stopped struggling as she felt the odd sensation of an egg being broken over her head. As Draco opened the door, she realized what he'd done. She was now safely hidden in the space between the wall and the open door.

"Sorry, Professor," he mumbled doing an excellent impression of someone still half asleep, "I'm a deep sleeper."

"Well apparently, so is Miss Granger," Sprout huffed.

The color (which wasn't much to begin with) drained from Draco's face. _She knows!_

"I was knocking on her door for 15 minutes before I gave up!" she continued.

Both Draco and Hermione breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"I'm beginning to think she's not in there!"

Draco did his best to look impassive. "She probably got up early. Went for a walk or something," he covered, while stretching up his arms and yawning.

"Oh?" said Sprout. "Well, I hope she gets back soon. We need to get down to the ballroom for the award ceremony. If you want breakfast, you better get downstairs a little early."

"Okay," Draco said stepping back to close the door.

"Half an hour!" Sprout added leaning her head to call through the crack as the door swung closed.

"Fuck me!" Draco laughed wiping a hand over his face as he leaned against the door next to a nearly invisible Hermione.

"Do you think she believed you?" Hermione asked stepping away from the door and ending the disillusionment spell.

Draco looked at her and arched an eyebrow. "Of course she believed me! No one would think the perfect 'Miss Granger' would do something as…dirty as spending the night with a boy," he teased.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "I didn't spend the night with you," she stated. Her voice was defiant in the all too quite room. "I didn't have anywhere else to go."

"But, you did kiss me," he replied meeting her step for step as she backed away. "And I gave you every opportunity not to."

Hermione stopped moving. She raised her chin and looked him in the eye. "Okay, well…" and she reached down to gather up the small pile of clothes she'd made on the floor. "I'm going to go now. I'll see you downstairs." And with that she pivoted around him and rushed out of the door.

Before she got a chance to catch her breath, Hermione found herself standing face to face with a scowling Professor Sprout. "Well, good morning Miss Granger!" Sprout said, raising an eyebrow and pushing off the wall where she'd been waiting. Apparently she hadn't bought Draco's story as well as they'd thought. "Out for a walk this morning, were you?" the older woman asked.

For a moment, Hermione considered lying. Her mind worked furiously to come up with an excuse. But then she realized what she was wearing: Draco's undershirt and pajama bottoms. There was no getting out of this. "No, Professor," she murmured, looking down to her feet.

"Am I to understand that you spent the night in Mr. Malfoy's room?" Sprout asked looking extremely disappointed.

"Yes, ma'am," Hermione said keeping her eyes focused on the ground. "Malfoy and I went to the convention social in the bar downstairs and I lost my key. I didn't wake you because I thought I'd get in trouble for being out so late," she explained.

"That is no excuse, my dear," Sprout chided. "The amount of trouble you would have been in for breaking curfew is nothing compared to what you're in for now!"

Hermione cringed. Sprout was usually such a happy woman and she'd never seen her so angry.

"And to think, I trusted you! Minerva told me that I should give you two a bed check at midnight, but I told her that it wouldn't be necessary with such responsible students."

At this point Sprout was knocking on Malfoy's door again. "Open up, Mr. Malfoy. This concerns you too."

Draco opened the door to see an irate Professor Sprout standing next to an embarrassed Granger who was- oh good - still wearing his clothes. "Perfect," he mumbled.

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Detention.

For a week.

With whoever could come up with the worst chore.

Plus, and this was worst of all, an immediate safe-sex education class with Madame Pomfrey upon their return to Hogwarts.

Hermione had tried to explain that nothing happened between her and Malfoy. That the only reason she was wearing his clothes was for comfort. That he'd slept on the floor. But Sprout really wasn't interested. She'd said she couldn't possibly believe a word that came out of Hermione's mouth after she'd been caught in such a compromising position.

Malfoy hadn't been much help. He'd agreed with Hermione's story, but he hadn't tried very hard to sound convincing.

This is what caused Hermione to sit angrily in the ballroom with her arms crossed while an overly-enthusiastic announcer revealed the winners.

"And an Honorable Mention goes to…"

"I can't believe you didn't say anything in our defense!" Hermione whispered to Draco who was sitting next to her in the crowd.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I told her you were telling the truth," he replied.

"Quiet you two!" Sprout ordered from the seat next to Draco.

The pair was quiet while a few more names were called.

"I mean, you just stood there! Like you were proud!" Hermione hissed irritably.

Draco leaned over and defended himself. "Granger, nothing we could have said would've mattered."

"Well you could have at least tried!"

"I wasn't about to beg…Ouch!"

Draco was cut off by Professor Sprout seizing his ear and pulling it sharply until he was sitting upright again. "I've had all I can take of you two today!" she whispered. "Keep your mouths shut!"

All three glared at the stage where the announcer was delivering the award for third place. "And the second runner up, winner of 1,000 galleons, is…"

"I bet you'll wish you _had_ begged if Sprout owls your father," Hermione said under her breath.

Draco coughed in surprise. He hadn't thought about thatHe wanted to turn to Sprout and demand that she not tell his parents, but thought it would make him seem childish. Instead he narrowed his eyes and turned to Granger. He moved his hand to her upper arm and pinched. Hard.

"Ow! You bastard!" Hermione said causing a few people to turn and look at them. She paid no attention to anyone else as she fisted her hand and punched him in the shoulder.

"…Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Congratulations!"

Suddenly the whole room was looking at the pair who were in the midst of a prissy fight. Draco had just flicked Hermione in the temple when the entire audience fell silent, waiting for them to accept their award.

Seeing that the pair had little inclination of what was going on around them, Sprout stood from her seat and tore Draco up onto his feet. "Get up there!" she told him, fixing him with what can only be described as a death glare.

Draco looked around slowly, noticing that his spat with Granger was the center of attention. He cleared his throat and straightened his tie before turning toward the stage and walking. He didn't look behind to see if Granger was coming. He really didn't care. If she wanted to sit there blushing, that was her choice, but he knew better than to act embarrassed.

As he ascended the stairs to the stage, he wondered what they'd won. Had they won the whole thing? First place? He shook hands with the announcer and when he turned to face the crowd, he saw Hermione at his side.

She was taking the offered plaque and smiling. "Second place," she read happily.

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When the three of them were leaving, they stopped at the coordinator's table to sort out the prize money.

"We can divvy it up any way you like," said the young man who was representing Gringotts.

Draco took the 5,000 galleon check made out to "Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger" and signed the back. "There you go Granger, I've signed it. It's all yours," he said.

Hermione didn't know what to say. She knew that Draco had no claim over the money, but she hadn't expected him the hand it over so easily. "Oh…right," she managed.

"Don't give me that look," he whispered leaning in so only she could hear.

Hermione nodded and faced the banker. "Could you have this sent to my vault in Gringotts?" she asked politely as she endorsed the back underneath Draco's signature.

"No problem," said the man who shook both of their hands before waving his wand over the check, which disappeared into thin air.

If Professor Sprout noticed anything strange about the fact that Draco wasn't claiming any of the prize money, she didn't mention it. Instead, as soon as the check was gone, she ordered the teens to follow her out the door where they immediately apparated back to Hogwarts.

"I trust you can find your way back up to your rooms?" Sprout asked as she opened the heavy gates and waited as Draco and Hermione entered the grounds. "Don't forget you have a meeting with Madame Pomfrey at 3 o' clock and then detention starting tomorrow night." The older woman locked the gates behind them and headed up toward the castle.

"It's only 5:30 a.m. here," Hermione noted looking toward the Black Lake where the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon.

"Yeah, that only leaves ten hours 'til we have to hear that dried up hag tell us how to 'abstain'" Draco joked.

Hermione cracked a smile even though she didn't approve of his nickname for Pomfrey. "Oh, if Sprout only knew…" she huffed throwing her hands up in defeat.

"Knew what?" Draco asked cocking a brow at the defiant girl beside him.

"That we only slept!" she said raising her voice in her frustration.

Draco was silent for a moment as he retraced the events of the night prior. "Last night could have turned out a lot differently, you know," he said catching her gaze, "if you hadn't stopped."

Hermione's heart began pounding in her chest as her mind searched for a way to respond. She blinked her eyes away from him and turned to head up to the castle. "Last night, never should have happened," she said.

Draco began heading up the grounds as well. "Why not?" he asked in a toneless voice that sounded suspiciously bitter. "You seemed okay with it at the time."

"Because I was drunk!" she explained gesturing wildly.

Hermione marched on, determined to convince Malfoy that their kiss had been a mistake. She wondered why he was acting like it wasn't. It seemed like he was inviting her to go further with him. Like he wished their activities hadn't been limited to kissing.

"I have a boyfriend," she said as if this declaration would end the discussion.

"Who? Weasley?" Draco asked stopping in his tracks. "How can you kiss me like that last night and then stand by him today?"

Hermione whipped around and jabbed Draco in the chest with her finger. "And what would be the better option?" she asked. "Are you and I going to become a couple? Is that what you're trying to say? That I should break it off with Ron and stand by you?" She laughed dryly at this suggestion.

"Of course not," he said grabbing her wrist before she could turn away. "You should break it off with him because he's not right for you."

Hermione growled and struggled to free her wrist from his grasp but he wouldn't let go. "How would you know what's right for me?" she spat narrowing her eyes and giving one last futile attempt to jerk her arm free.

Draco didn't answer her. He pulled her toward him forcefully and captured her around the waist.

She struggled in his grip. She had to. It's what was expected. "Don't do this," she warned.

Her warning was useless. She saw the look in his eyes. The same look she'd seen the night before when caught in his arms just as she was now. The look that signaled the desire a man held for a woman. The look she'd only dreamt about receiving before now.

She was helpless to that look.

Her eyes fluttered shut as Draco's lips descended upon her own in a painfully gentle kiss. She never would have thought Draco Malfoy to be capable of a kiss such as this. The soft pressure of his mouth against hers caused her breath to tremble in time with her rapidly beating heart.

She wanted to pull away - to show him that it was not her desires but the alcohol that allowed her to act so recklessly last night - to show him that she was unavailable to him. She could resist him. But she found herself unable to move.

He placed his hands to either side of her face, just as he'd done last night, and caressed small circles on her cheek bones with his thumbs. His lips pressed deeper into hers and she had a feeling he was holding back.

And just as quickly as it started, it was done. He placed one last patient kiss on her lips before pulling away and blinking open his eyes. "Does he kiss you like that?" Malfoy asked, his chest rising and falling with his excited breaths.

Hermione furrowed her brow and tried to find her voice as she thought back to the last kiss she'd shared with Ron."No," she whispered in a nearly inaudible exhale of breath.

A smug smile crept onto Draco's lips. "That's what I thought," he said.

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"Lernaean hydra," Hermione whispered to the portrait of the Fat Lady, who swung open without even opening her eyes.

Hermione was glad to find that all of her housemates were still sleeping and she went straight up to her bed where she drew the curtains and thought about all of the tings that had transpired over her long weekend.

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Draco felt both tired and exhilarated when he entered his common room. He could still feel the soft curves of Hermione's body pressed against him. He blinked and flashes of her blushing skin teased the back of his eyelids.

He looked down at his growing erection and decided to have a nice long shower to- ahem- take care of business.

Half an hour later, Draco lay down in his four poster bed and relaxed for the first time in days. His body had been wrapped tight in tension all weekend culminating with the lack of sexual release last night. The hot water from his shower had soothed his tightened muscles and now his head felt heavy on his pillow like it was sinking through the mattress. He found himself yawning with exhaustion. He closed his eyes and evened his breathing hoping to sleep off some of the pestering feelings of anticipation lurking in the back of his mind. It was no use. He could not possibly sleep with so many thoughts swirling around his head.

Fine. If his thoughts were going to keep him up anyway, he might as well embrace them.

Kissing Granger had been brilliant.

It'd been fantastic just forty minutes ago, but it was down right _hot_ last night. He'd been on his best behavior all day, not rising to her baiting or taunting her when she'd said something entirely Gryffindor and it had paid off. He remembered how it felt when their lips first met, after craving her and fantasizing about her for so long. It'd been such a relief combined with an incapacitating arousal that nearly knocked him off his feet. It'd taken all of his self control to stand there kissing her instead of just carrying her over to the bed and shagging her rotten.

Oh, and the way she'd reacted to his touch…

Thinking about her soft panting breaths on his lips or the feel of her fingers running up his back renewed that same arousal now.

It was funny; he still didn't really like the girl that much. She was too bossy and proper. But something about her _worked_ for him. His body called out to her. It was like his hands and lips were well rehearsed and knew exactly where to touch her. Maybe it was from his fantasies and maybe it was just something about her. All Draco knew was that Granger fucking had something. Something he wanted. And if he had to keep acting like a saint to get it, then so be it. It was a small price to pay to someday get the pleasure of sampling her.

Draco nodded off to sleep with new plans of seduction springing up in his evil little mind.

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"Hermione!" Ron announced when she sat down at breakfast. "When did you get back?"

"Early this morning," she said slipping into the seat next to him and sending him a forced smile. She hadn't wanted to face him after what she'd done with Malfoy last night…and then again this morning, but putting it off would only make it harder.

"Oh, how was it?" he asked leaning over to kiss the side of her face.

_Crazy, dishonest, sexy. _ "It was okay. We came in second," she said.

"Second? That's fantastic!" said Ginny Weasley who was sitting across the table.

"Yeah, nice job," Harry chimed in.

"Thanks," she said feeling herself ease into normality. She plastered on a smile and let out a relieved sigh. It felt good to be among friends again.

"Did you win any money?" Ron asked tactlessly.

"Yeah," Hermione said glancing around and leaning toward her friends. She didn't want to announce her winnings to the world. "5,000 galleons," she whispered.

"5,000 galleons?" Ron shouted causing several other students to turn and look.

Hermione cringed. "Could you keep it down? I don't want everyone to know!" she berated.

"Sorry," he said giving her a sheepish smile.

"Who won first prize?" Harry asked

"Some man named Finkboner," she told them and then waited for the childish giggling to die down before going into a description of the winning wand. "It's called the Universal Wand and it can be used by any wizard at any skill level. When held, the wand automatically reads the holder's magic and adjusts to his particular strengths. It's quite genius actually."

And so the conversation went. Her friends asked her what else she'd done and she told them about going to the bar and meeting interesting people but strategically left out any parts having to do with Malfoy.

They had inquired about him though, wondering if he'd been a totally prick. She'd brushed it off saying she hadn't spent much time with him. They seemed satisfied by her answer.

She felt terrible lying, but what else could she do? If they knew she even shared drinks with Malfoy, they'd be furious.

"So, what about you lot?" Hermione asked trying to shift the focus of the conversation. "Anything exciting happen while I was gone?"

"Oh, yeah!" Ginny said before going off on a tangent about some new gossip she'd heard while Hermione took the opportunity to glance at the Slytherin table.

Draco had just arrived. She'd known this even though she hadn't been watching. It was like her body was more aware of him now. Like she didn't have to watch him to know what he was doing.

And as if he could sense her too, he looked up the moment her eyes settled on him.

For a moment she sat there frozen. She didn't know if she was surprised or affirmed by his gaze. Then he smirked and winked at her and she looked away blinking and blushing. She turned to Ron. What if he had seen? But her worries were unwarranted. Ron was looking nowhere but at his sister, who seemed to have captured his attention with her juicy story.

Hermione narrowed her eyes and shot Malfoy a quick look that she hoped conveyed that winking at her in the Great Hall was definitely not allowed.

She didn't wait to see his response.

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At 2:50 Hermione bid her friends farewell, telling them that she had homework to do, before heading off to her "mandatory safe-sex education class".

She blushed the whole way, thinking of what Professor Sprout must have told Madame Pomfrey about why this class was necessary.

"Hello Miss Granger," Pomfrey said when she pulled open the heavy doors and slipped inside.

"Hi," she mumbled blushing even redder when she saw the empty seat at the small wooden table next to Malfoy, who had apparently arrived early.

"Please take your seat," Pomfrey ordered as she motioned to the chair and waited as Hermione complied. "Now, Professor Sprout has asked me to give the two of you a private lesson on contraception and safe sex practices. I will teach you about the easiest and safest charms and potions, but I must tell you that no matter what you learn today, the best way to protect your heart and your body is abstinence."

Hermione's face went ghost white. Draco laughed out loud and then pretended to have a coughing fit to cover it up.

"Are you quite finished? Because I'll tell you this, there is nothing funny about burning urination or teenage mothers." Pomfrey chided before waving her wand to uncover a chart depicting different types of contraception.

Half an hour later Hermione and Draco were still sitting in the hospital wing listening to Pomfrey go on about sex. While neither student was _actually_ listening, Hermione was at least trying to look attentive. Her hands rested primly on the table, her eyes trained studiously at Madame Pomfrey who seemed to have lost all hope of trying to get Draco to look at her. The Slytherin was leaning all the way back in his chair twirling his wand in his fingers and periodically shooting cobwebs with it.

Hermione peered sideways at him. She couldn't believe he was getting away with this kind of behavior.

Soon, Draco was no longer shooting cobwebs with his wand; he'd escalated to shooting her. Every time Pomfrey turned around he shot puffs of air and sparks at Hermione's head.

"Knock it off!" she whispered when Pomfrey had turned to write something on the blackboard.

Draco cocked a brow and looked intrigued. Hermione wondered it she should have kept her mouth shut, but after a few minutes passed she thought maybe he really had quit.

Suddenly, Draco sat forward in his chair and dropped his arms onto the table. His pale hand fell so close to hers that the back of his knuckles brushed against her hand. At first she did nothing, hoping he would realize his mistake and move his hand, but after a few awkward moments where neither moved she decided that he'd done it on purpose. She turned to him and gave him a pointed look, but he ignored her, pretending to listen to Pomfrey for the first time since the class started.

By this point a few minutes had passed and Hermione felt like she had waited too long to be the one to move. She felt trapped. If she moved her hand now it would be admitting defeat. So there the two sat with their hands joined back to back.

"And now I am going to show you some slides of what could happen to your bits if you don't take the proper precautions."

Draco was having a hard time keeping a straight face. This "class" was beyond ridiculous. It was a combination of scolding and scare tactics and he wasn't learning anything he didn't already know.

Pomfrey walked around behind the pair, lowered the lights, and conjured a screen. "This," she said before flicking her wrist to bring up an image of a swollen penis covered in sores, "is what Dragondic looks like."

Draco winced painfully and Hermione thought she heard him whisper "Bloody hell!" under his breath.

"Eyes on the screen Mr. Malfoy," Pomfrey continued flicking to a new image of a penis covered with green pus. "And this is Knob Rot."

Draco groaned and Hermione averted her eyes.

Ten minutes of stomach turning slides passed before Pomfrey vanished the screen and turned up the lights. "Alright, now I would like to answer any questions the two of you may have."

Neither teen spoke. Hermione stared poignantly just to the right of Pomfrey while Draco leaned over the table and rested his head in his arms.

"We are not leaving this room until each of you comes up with at least one question," the mediwitch threatened.

The pair remained silent. Hermione searched her mind for something she could ask to get this over with while Draco rolled his eyes and refused to ask a question on shear principle.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence Madame Pomfrey cleared her throat. "Well?" she prompted.

Hermione glanced over at Draco. He was rolling his eyes and looking very much like the stubborn brat that he was. She'd come up with a few questions that she might actually want to know the answers to, but was embarrassed to ask them in front of him. She decided on a much more clinical one. "Erm well," she stuttered, "I would like to know, if it's possible to brew your own contraceptive potions."

Pomfrey wrinkled her brow. It appeared she was contemplating her answer. "That is an excellent question Miss Granger. Yes, it is possible, but it is not advised. It takes a steady hand and a trained eye to brew such an important potion and I would think you wouldn't want to risk brewing it incorrectly. Best leave it to the professionals." The older woman cracked a smile for the first time since this nightmare had begun. "And what about you Mr. Malfoy? Can't you think of one question to ask?"

Draco sat up in his chair and narrowed his eyes. He seemed to think that this was some sort of a challenge. "Alright, yeah," he said rolling up his sleeves and meeting Pomfrey's gaze, "is it true that having an active sex life can improve the strength and quality of one's magic?"

Pomfrey looked surprised. Hermione sat up in her chair. This was actually an answer she'd be interested in hearing.

"Well, yes, Mr. Malfoy," the older woman started. It looked like this was painful for her to admit. "Sexual satisfaction can help to focus one's magic; however it is best left to married witches and wizards."

"I see," Draco replied smugly, "but it still works for unmarried couples?"

Pomfrey huffed and placed her arms on her hips. "No, I should say it doesn't. It is very difficult to find true intimacy between unmarried partners," she told him.

"But not impossible," he clarified.

Pomfrey didn't answer. Instead she looked at her clock and deemed the session finished. "I think you've been here long enough. You are free to go."

Hermione and Draco didn't need to be told twice. They both stood abruptly and made for the door.

"Abstinence!" they heard Pomfrey call as the door swung shut behind them.

Draco laughed and glanced over his shoulder at the heavy oak doors. He was proud of himself for throwing Pomfrey off her game and for getting her to admit that sex wasn't all bad. "Glad that's over with," he chuckled.

Hermione didn't even look at him. She shoved her hands in her robe pockets and headed swiftly for the stairs. This was not vacation in Sydney. This was Hogwarts and Malfoy needed to know that here, they were enemies. They were polar opposites. They were anything but friends who laughed and joked in the hallways.

"Granger, where are you rushing off to so fast?" Draco asked speeding up his own pace to keep up with her.

"I'm going to my room. I've a lot of homework," she said keeping her eyes steadily in front of her.

"What homework?" he asked stepping ahead to block her path.

She huffed and tried to move around him. "Arithmancy," she lied.

"I don't believe you," he told her, moving to grab her wrist just as he'd done earlier.

"I don't care if you don't believe me," she said pulling her wrist away. "I still need to go."

Draco seemed amused. "Do it later," he told her.

_No. _Hermione was fed up. "What is this? Do you think that just because we…kissed that I am going to throw myself at you every time we're alone?"

Draco shrugged. _Does she want me to answer that?_

"I want you to know, that I am not interested in you. I don't want anything to do with you. I'm sorry if you thought this weekend meant anything, but it didn't. It was morbid curiosity. And it's gone now. So just piss off already!" she shouted moving sharply away from him and storming off.

Draco turned to watch her retreating figure. It was funny how Granger thought she could deter him by throwing a tantrum. _Silly Gryffindor. _


	17. Ch 17 Gets the Oil

**1 more day!!!!**

**Ch 17 Gets the Oil**

"Hermione's been acting weird lately. Since she got back from the convention" Ron waited for Harry to answer.

The pair stood on a stone walkway overlooking a snow covered courtyard. They'd just finished with DADA and were killing time until Transfiguration.

"I dunno; I guess so," Harry shrugged rubbing his hands together to combat the bitter February cold. Harry didn't feel like talking about Hermione's behavior. He'd been forced to endure far too many conversations like this since the whole lust potion incident at the beginning of the year.

"And what do you think _really_ landed her in detention every night this week?" Ron asked leaning to spit over the railing. "Watch it!" he called to the unlucky first year walking below.

"She told us," Harry said distractedly. "She and Malfoy got into a fight in front of the entire convention and Sprout said they'd irrevocably embarrassed Hogwarts."

"Yeah, I know she said that, but detention for the whole week? Seems a little steep."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Well, if Hermione says that's what happened, then that's what happened. Why would she lie?"

Ron was quiet for a while, apparently lost in thought, "Right. Why would she lie?"

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"Keep shoveling, you filthy little beasts," Filch called from his seat on a snow covered stump.

Hermione groaned and paused to wipe the sweat from her brow. On this, their second night of detention, Draco and Hermione were given the backbreaking task of clearing snow from the walkway that led up the entire length of the grounds. With magical assistance, this assignment would have taken ten minutes at most, but seeing as this was punishment, the pair had been shoveling for over an hour and weren't halfway finished.

Hermione squinted to see how well Draco was doing on his half of the job. Hmm, a fair share better than her. He seemed to be ¾ of the way through the bottom half of the walkway. That made sense, of course; he had much more upper body strength. She pushed her shovel through the thick wet snow and slowly lifted the heavy burden off to the side. She wasn't in as much of a hurry as Draco seemed to be. Her muscles ached from the strain of lifting the heavy piles and she longed for Draco to finish his half and assist on hers. She wondered why he'd divided the work up in the first place; it all had to get done in the end.

"Speed it up, Gryffindor," spat the old grouch.

Hermione rolled her eyes and resumed her work. A nagging feeling in the back of her mind knew why Draco separated the work load- he was avoiding her.

Although it seemed odd, given his recent persistent behavior, Draco had not so much as looked at her since Sunday afternoon- since she told him to piss off and leave her alone. A feeling of guilt rolled into her stomach as she watched his back toss snow out of his way.

He wasn't so bad when he wasn't trying to act like an arrogant prick- when there was no one around to impress. And she hadn't really meant it. She'd said it because it seemed appropriate. Like the right thing to say, given whom they were.

She remembered even as the words left her mouth, she hadn't felt them. It was like she was reciting from a playbook. She remembered as she stalked off, all puffed up and indignant, she'd already been planning what to say the next time he tried to come on to her. She didn't think for one minute that he might actually _listen_ to her.

At breakfast Monday morning she remembered looking at him numerous times but he was never looking back. She didn't think much of it at the time, but as the day went on and he hadn't acknowledged her in any of their classes, she began to wonder what game he was playing. It wasn't until their detention that she realized he might not be playing at all.

They'd both reported to Madame Sprout to receive their detention assignment: de-quilling knarls in the potions laboratory with Professor Snape. Draco had accepted the assignment with a nod before walking wordlessly to the dungeon to begin the task.

Hermione thought he was keeping up appearances for the professors, but even after Snape left them alone, Malfoy's behavior hadn't change. He had seated himself at one of the tables near the front of the room and she found herself staring at his back wondering what was going on. She'd never known him to ignore her before.

She watched him as he worked, scratching the knarl's face so it wouldn't feel the quills being removed. What was he, some sort of knarl charmer? The feisty creature in her hands already thrice-tried to bite her. Alas, she'd ask for his secret if he was speaking to her.

She couldn't help but feel disappointed in his sudden change of behavior. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she liked his attention. Some small part of her cherished the feeling of masculine appreciation. She couldn't remember many times in her life when anyone had treated her like she was sexy or tempting or…beautiful.

And of course, he'd never said anything to indicate she was any of those things, but he had made her _feel _like she was. And it was the feeling she would miss.

Movement from the bottom of the walkway tore Hermione from her thoughts. Draco was making his way up the grounds to address Filch. Hermione thought it was odd that he'd even try talking to the leathery caretaker who didn't have a lenient bone in his body. She watched with interest as Malfoy spoke to the man before motioning to his portion of the walkway. The older man nodded and Draco began trekking up to the castle. _Where is he going?_ Hermione wondered. They still had a lot of snow to clear.

"Malfoy? What are you…" but she quieted as he walked right passed her and dropped is shovel in the snow.

"Get back to work, you!" Filch ordered and Hermione whipped around to face the severe old man.

"But, what about Malfoy?" she asked feeling betrayed by his departure.

"What about him?" Filch asked grinning at the chance to put the cheeky girl in her place. "He's finished his share of the work. Maybe, if you had spent more time working and less time staring at his backside, you'd be finished as well."

Hermione felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. She wanted to scream and refuse to do anything until Malfoy returned, but knew that was out of the question. Mustering all of her self control, she turned back to her work and resumed shoveling. _Stupid Malfoy, _she grumbled. She couldn't believe he would leave her out here like this. Oh wait, who was she kidding? Of course she could.

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The following afternoon, Hermione walked out to the frozen Black Lake to find Ron and Harry playing a game of fetch with Fang.

"Hi Hermione," they greeted as they noticed the brunette approaching.

Harry simply smiled while Ron leaned down to collect her in a bear hug.

"Hi boys," she said finding a snow-free spot on a nearby bench and settling down to enjoy some well needed friend-time.

"How was detention last night?" Harry asked tossing a dried stick out onto the lake, "We didn't see you at breakfast."

"It was shit," she said rolling her neck and stretching her arms. "I'm unbelievably sore."

The boys looked at her and smiled. "Did ickle Hermione have to do manual labor?" Ron asked in appalling baby-talk.

Hermione scowled. "It was hard work," she huffed. "I'd like to see how well you felt after shoveling that whole walk."

Ron plopped down in the seat next to her, "I can give you a backrub if you want."

"No thanks," she smiled. The last thing she wanted was a backrub from Ron.

She cursed herself for ever agreeing to be his girlfriend. If only she'd told him that it didn't feel right. That she couldn't make herself feel something that wasn't there. It was just that he'd caught her off guard; she'd been so shaken up from her encounter with Malfoy that she didn't have a chance to think.

_I'm going to have to tell him._

She couldn't let things go on like they were. He didn't deserve this. He deserved better than an unfaithful girlfriend who couldn't get another boy out of her head. The trick was, finding a way to break up with him without ruining their friendship.

"Hey Ron, can I talk to you for a minute?" she said, surprising herself. _I didn't mean now!_ She hadn't even given herself time to prepare a speech.

"Yeah, sure," he said standing up and presenting his hand to help her up as well.

"Wait, don't get up," Harry interrupted seeing that the couple wanted privacy, "I'm going to take Fang back to Hagrid. See you two later."

"Thanks mate," Ron said before turning to Hermione and fixing her with a questioning look.

She opened her mouth but no words came out. _How do you tell your best friend that you don't want to be his girlfriend?_

"Hermione?" he said plastering on a cheesy grin, "Didn't you have something to talk about?"

_Oh no, not the smile!_ She couldn't break up with him while he was smiling like that. "Er, yeah." _It's now or never. Just tell him._ "It's just…well, I don't know if this is going to work."

Hermione watched as the smile fell from Ron's face. "What?"

"I just think it was a mistake to put a label on us. I mean, there's all this pressure now and I am feeling bad for being busy…and…can't we just go back to the way things were and see where it goes from there?" She knew she was babbling but it was the only way to keep from backing down.

Ron was quiet for ages (probably more like seconds) before he responded. "What pressure?" he asked.

"What?" Hermione said. This was not the response she would have expected.

"You said there's pressure. What pressure? We've only been together for five days." He was still sitting next to her on the bench, his face pale and nervous.

"I don't know. Expectations. Like I have to act differently or something," she said. "But that's not really the point. I just don't feel good about this."

After that declaration there was some yelling from Ron. Hermione had expected as much and met his anger with empathy. Her calmness only seemed to make things worse.

He'd asked why she agreed to be his in the first place. She told him she didn't know. He asked her to change her mind. She told him she couldn't. And as Ron turned away and began storming towards the castle, Hermione let the whimper she'd been restraining slip from her lips.

_I'm sorry,_ she thought as she tried to regain her composure. Several hot tears escaped down her cheeks; she wiped them away before they could drip from her face. _Stop crying_, she scolded, _you wanted this. _

And then he was back.

A hand landed on her shoulder and pulled sharply until she was turned around on the bench. Hermione gasped and pulled away at the hateful look she saw on his face.

"I just want to know one thing," he said gripping her shoulder tightly. "Does this have anything to do with Malfoy?"

Hermione choked from shock. She felt her face betray her guilt before she could school it back to innocence. "Of course not," she managed looking at the Weasley sweater he was wearing instead of in his eyes. "What does Malfoy have to do with anything?" she asked.

"Why don't you tell me? He's been staring at you for weeks and you spent all that time working together on your project and then you had an entire weekend together in Australia. So again, Hermione, why don't you tell _me_ what Malfoy has to do with it."

Hermione had seen Ron this angry in the past, but that anger had never been directed at _her_. He spat the accusatory words with spiteful venom.

"I don't know what else to say besides, it's not about Malfoy."

But it was about Malfoy. And now she was not only a bad friend, but also a liar.

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Hermione spent the rest of the afternoon avoiding Ron. After a quick trip to Gryffindor, to pick up some pain-reliever and study supplies, she found herself in the one place that she had no chance of running into Ron, the library.

Hermione read for hours before she was disrupted by a paper airplane landing in her lap. Wrinkling her brow in confusion, she unfolded the plane to discover a detention notice. Apparently Professor Sprout was tired of delivering the assignment in person.

**Notice of Detention**

_Miss Hermione Granger_** is to report to **_Professor Binns_** in room **_the History of Magic classroom_ **at **_seven o'clock._.

**This detention is in response to **_I believe you know the reason._

**Issued by**

_Prof. P. Sprout_

Hmm, detention with Binns? Strange. She'd never heard of him hosting a detention. Undoubtedly, she was in for an unparalleled night of boredom.

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Never one to arrive late for anything, Hermione showed up for detention at five to seven. The room was empty aside from two desks pushed nose to nose. Each desk boasted a large pile of parchments, a bottle of ink, and a quill.

Hermione stood awkwardly at the door wondering if she'd read the time on her slip correctly.

"Well, have a seat," came the dreary voice of Professor Binns as he appeared through the black board and floated to the center of the room. "You'll be editing first year essays," he said.

"Right," Hermione mumbled moving to claim one of the desks. She sat down and cursed whoever thought it was a good idea to have the desks facing one another. How was she supposed to ignore Malfoy's silent treatment if she was staring right at him?

_I guess I'll find out,_ she thought as Malfoy chose that moment to roll in.

He seated himself in the desk across from her and glanced at Binns who informed him of their task. Without once acknowledging her presence, he dipped the provided quill in the provided ink and began marking the first essay.

Hermione was outraged. _How dare he act like I'm not here!_ She narrowed her eyes and stared at him for five straight minutes in an attempt to annoy him into cracking.

He didn't seem to notice one way or the other. The only difference now, was that he was on his second essay and she hadn't even started. She held back a growl and began to read her first essay. There was no way she was going to let him finish early tonight.

It didn't take long before Professor Binns was asleep at his desk; his pearly body hovered a few inches above the chair and his arms sunk under the top surface. A sleeping ghost was a strange sight indeed.

Hermione completed another essay by scribbling, "consider a new title," at the top in a sloppy Ron-worthy script. She was determined to finish before Malfoy, even if she had to suppress her usual scholastic perfection to do so. She glanced up at his pile of unedited essays and noticed with satisfaction that it was unquestionably larger than her own.

But suddenly that wasn't a victory anymore.

It didn't mean anything if he wasn't playing along. She watched irritably as he scanned the page before him, stifled a yawn and then jotted something down on the parchment. He looked relaxed. Calm._ The bastard._

"You're doing it on purpose," Hermione whispered furiously as she snapped her eyes back to her own work.

Draco didn't immediately respond. He took his time finishing up his writing before clearing his throat and drawling, "Did you say something, Granger?"

_Oh, you're good. Bloody wanker. Bringing back the old snobbery. _"You heard me," she said setting down her quill and resting her eyes on the blond head that remained casually down-turned.

"Was that you?" he asked innocently. "I thought a screech owl had found its way here to die."

"Good joke," Hermione scoffed. She hated that he was yet to look up from the essays. Sod the essays! Because honestly, who gives a fuck about the stupid essays? "Why are you ignoring me?"

There. She'd put it out there. And now she could do nothing but wait for his response.

He took his time. Dragging his eyes from the parchment on his desk and locking them with her nervous gaze. "Does it bother you?"

_Is your father a duplicitous swine of a Death Eater?_ "Yes!" she huffed slapping both of her palms on her desk and rolling her eyes. "It just doesn't make any sense!"

Hermione had clearly lost all pretense of patience by this point. Not that she'd had any to begin with. Angry breaths came in rapid shallow puffs along with the realization that she must look like a crazed she-beast. _Sod that too,_ she thought derisively.

"I thought this is what you wanted," his cool voice cut in. "I believe you said you were not interested in me and that I should…oh how did you so eloquently phrase it...piss off?"

_He is being difficult. Like he really gives a goblin's arse what I have to say anyway. He's never cared before. I've told him to piss off hundreds of times and it's never done any good. _"I didn't think you'd actually listen," she mumbled before she'd even noticed it was aloud.

And he took that opportunity to laugh loudly. It startled her out of her grumblings and she realized that he was smiling now. All semblance of icy exterior gone. "Aww Granger, you missed me?"

The teasing tone of his voice and the smug smile on his lips made her want to slap him. _Wipe that smirk off your face, _she thought. "No," she said just to bring him down a notch or two.

But to her extreme annoyance, it had the opposite effect. His smile widened and his scarred brow arched expectantly. "No?"

And as if it was the straw that broke the camel's back, Hermione caved. Spectacularly. She'd come this far. He knew anyway. So with as much dignity as could be salvaged from the most embarrassing conversation of her life, Hermione Granger admitted that yes, in fact, she had missed Draco Malfoy.

She cringed as the words left her mouth. Her fingers curled around the desk as she waited for the teasing that would inevitably follow. But it never came.

"Well then, let's go," he said rising from his chair and offering his arm.

"Where?" she asked blankly. They had detention to think about.

"Anywhere."

And without waiting for a response, he grabbed her hand and hoisted her out of her chair. She was halfway across the room before her mind registered what was happening.

"But what about detention?" she asked trying to peak over her shoulder at the unfinished work they were leaving behind.

"Don't worry about it," he said reaching for the door and swinging it open, "trust me."

And for some reason, she did.

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_What am I doing? What the hell am I doing? _Hermione's mind raced as she walked down the corridor with Malfoy. _What if we're seen? What is he thinking? _

Her small hand remained tucked inside his larger one and she slowed her step to fall in behind him. She felt safer that way. Hidden.

Voices sounded from somewhere nearby. Hermione choked on the air that was closing in around her. "Malfoy!" she said in a stage whisper.

He chuckled at her strangled tone. "Yes?"

"Can we just…"

But before she could finish her sentence, a group of students came into view and Malfoy was pulling her into the nearest cupboard.

"Better?" he asked in a voice that was too loud for Hermione's liking.

"Shh!" she warned straining her ears to hear any sign that the students had seen them.

Draco smirked. He found Hermione's paranoia quite amusing. "I think we're safe," he told her.

But she didn't seem to be listening. She stood with her ear to the door, totally engross in the goings on beyond it. She didn't even notice when Draco settled his palms on the space to either side of her head. She didn't flinch as he leaned in so close he could smell the soapy scent of her skin. She remained unaware as he lowered his body to feel her heat radiating.

After several minutes in which Draco hovered at a tortuous standstill, she spoke.

"I think they're gone," she whispered. "Do you?"

He breathed in deeply at the peachy skin of her neck. "Yes," he exhaled into her ear.

And suddenly she knew exactly where he was. Her breath caught in her throat and her skin prickled. She turned towards him and was instantly met with the urgent force of Draco's kiss. And like the others before it, the kiss was incredible.

She melted into him, giving back just as much as he was delivering. His warm mouth pressed into hers. Owning it. Declaring it his for the taking. And she relinquished control to his more practiced lips, enjoying the sensations-the softness of it all.

His arms closed her in. She felt them on her back and relished the feeling of being held. Her hands rested on his shoulders, squeezing and twisting in the material of his shirt. He slid his hands down her back to the underside of her legs and lifted her without breaking their kiss. Her legs wrapped around his back as he carried her a few steps back and sat down on some unknown surface.

He broke the kiss and moved his mouth down her jawline to the more sensitive parts of her neck. She could feel the scratchy stubble on his face that she normally could never see. She panted and sighed and couldn't hold even one breath back as his teeth and tongue explored her skin.

She opened her eyes for the first time since the kiss began and realized she was now straddling him on some sort of abandoned filing cabinet. She was glad for the darkness in the cupboard that hid her pink cheeks and with effort she pushed all thoughts of modesty from her mind. She'd wanted this. The heaving of her breast and the dampness between her thighs were a testament to that fact.

And suddenly she felt coolness on her stomach.

Her shirt had been opened around her tie that still hung down the center of her chest. She felt a warm hand palming her breast through her cotton bra. She felt the attentive mouth leave her neck and she pulled his head back to get him to stay. His mouth returned to her skin, but lower than it was before. He kissed and scraped his teeth against the fleshy spill of skin at the top of her breast.

She ran her hands up through his hair and closed her eyes to focus on the feeling of him caressing her body.

Soon his hands were encircling her own. Directing them down to some further place that she hadn't noticed was bulging and straining beneath their panting bodies. He groaned as she moved her hand along the zip of his pants and she smiled at the power she had over him. He tried to move his hand up under her skirt to reciprocate her actions, but she stopped him. She'd finally gotten a taste of control in this frenzied exploit and she didn't want to give it up. She cupped her fingers and pressed them into him, still too timid to open his pants and touch bare skin. He didn't seem to mind.

He rested his head against her still covered breasts and kissed and nipped as she worked on him below.

And then it was over. He was breathing heavily and sighing appreciatively into the crux of her neck, while she rested her head on his shoulder.

She didn't want to be the first to speak- to break the comfortable silence that had formed around their recovering bodies- but when a few minutes had passed and he still hadn't moved she took the initiative to sit up whisper a question.

"What time is it?" she asked embarrassed by the huskiness of her voice.

"Late, probably," he answered pushing up and feeling around for his wand.

"Right," she replied awkwardly. "We should probably get back to Binns." She squirmed a little to slide off of his lap.

"Yes, we probably should," he said smirking as he realized this was the best detention of his life.

The pair stood and fixed their clothes and made their way back to detention.

Upon entering the History of Magic classroom, neither were surprised to find their vaporous professor still asleep at his desk.

"Professor Binns," Draco said clearing his voice and approaching the ghost. "Professor, wake up."

Hermione blushed as she saw how wrinkly his shirt had become.

"Wha…What?" the old ghost said as his eyes blinked open suddenly. He looked around confusedly before realizing where he was. "Oh, yes. Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger! I seem to have nodded off."

"Yes, and it's quite late now, sir," Draco said. "We were wondering if we could be finished for the night."

"Oh, right. Yes, yes. I think that's a wonderful idea. I can't imagine keeping you out any later! You must be exhausted. Off you go." And with that Professor Binns rose into the air and floated off through the blackboard.

Hermione and Draco gathered their belongings and left the room together. This time Hermione had far too many thoughts spinning through her mind to worry about anyone seeing them.

"So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she told him when they reached the stairwell where she needed to go up and he down.

He turned to her with a strange look on his face and then poked her in the side. Hard.

"Ow!" she said rubbing the spot in between her ribs and hipbone that'd just been assaulted. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because you needed it. You're acting shy and I finally got you to open up. I'm not going to let you go up to your room and decide that tonight was a mistake."

Hermione smiled. It was true. She was letting the logical rationale that she'd worked so hard to suppress bubble to the surface.

"That's better," he said collecting her hand and threading his fingers through hers. "Now give me a kiss and be on your way."

And just like that she had a _thing _with Draco Malfoy.

**I wonder. Will anyone be interested in the end of this story after book 7? After we know exactly what's in store for our favorite characters? **

**Movie 5 - meh, disappointing. **

**Next chapter: title "Hermione's Virginity" lots of fun DmHg action and a little jealousy and someone gets their memories back. **


	18. Ch 18 Hermione's Virginity Part I

**Ch 18 Hermione's Virginity (Part I)**

Granger was eating a banana…a long, fat, curved one. Her fingers moved up and down the peel, spreading back the yellow skin. She pressed the phallusagainst perfectly swollen lips that opened and eagerly accepted it. Once, twice, three times, she savored the pale prize.

Draco groaned, mesmerized by the brunette across the room. "Yeah you dirty girl, that's _good_, isn't it?"

Ice cream cones appeared next and Granger set the half eaten banana aside to select one. Draco watched her sweet pink tongue roll up the sides of the frozen desert and lap at the dribbles that snuck past. What were the house elves trying to do, kill him? _Oh Merlin, some has dripped on her chin!_ The napkin in his hands – now wound into a tightly coiled rope – stung under his clenched-white knuckles.

In the month that passed since their detention with Binns, Draco's and Hermione's relationship grew into almost that: a relationship. Their nighttime rendezvous became the only salvation in an otherwise tiresome world. Both depended on their trysts like an addiction. Draco found it now impossible to spend a moment of conscious thought not involving Hermione…or sex…or sex with Hermione.

But they hadn't quite reached that stage yet – sex. And not, of course, on Draco's accord. He longed for the day when he wouldn't have to invent the affair in his mind, but actually knew the experience of being with her. He'd thought his chance had come when Hermione suggested they stay in the Room of Requirement on Valentine's Day instead of joining their classmates in Hogsmeade. He'd been mistaken, but not sorely; they'd spent the afternoon relaxing on a sofa, kissing, caressing, and surprisingly – talking.

A familiar warming sensation on his right ring finger drew him from his thoughts. His eyes found the silver ring that rested there and he slipped it off to read the message blazing like an inscription on the underside of the band.

_Tonight, 20:00 the new place_

Draco raised an eyebrow. Hermione hardly ever instigated meetings. He could remember only two such occasions in the three weeks since she'd presented him with the "message rings". He returned his attention to the girl in question in time to see her blush and look down at her water glass. She lifted the glass, took a long swig of its contents, and set it down again before fluttering her eyes back up to meet his. He nodded to confirm his approval of the meeting arrangements and held back a sly smile as he gathered his things and left the Great Hall.

Hermione watched him go, glad to be spared the usual teasing that went along with propositioning (at least that's what he called it) him. _Maybe he's learned that I'm more likely to continue "propositioning" him if he doesn't give me a hard time about it. _

The door closed behind him leaving Hermione to her thoughts. Thoughts which typically revolved around _him_ these days. She smiled into her cup as she took another swallow of water. Things with Malfoy were going well. She wouldn't say they were _dating_; that would require going on actual dates, but they were something. Something exciting, dangerous, and just for them.

Movement at the other end of the table caught her attention. Harry and Ron sat with an animated group of 7th years who seemed to be amidst some sort of lunchtime Olympics. Ron had just beaten Seamus in a milk-chugging contest and was bowing to accept his applause. Hermione smiled wistfully. She missed Ron – and all the lighthearted antics that came with him.

He hadn't spoken to her in weeks. He seemed to think it easier ignoring her than trying to make amends. His attitude had put a strain on the entire friendship. Harry was getting tired of being the go-between. He'd begun alternating seats at mealtimes: breakfast with Hermione, dinner with Ron, lunches varied. He'd told Hermione, and she assumed Ron too, that he couldn't take much more of this feud and they'd better reconcile before the friendship became unsalvageable.

He was right. She _knew_ he was right, but what could she do? Talking had no effect. She'd tried that after the first week of silence. Ron could be stubborn and it seemed she'd have to wait for him to put things right. The ball was in his court.

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"Peeves has got to go! I've had it with him!"

Hermione stood in what appeared to be a broom cupboard dabbing hopelessly at her stained shirt. The thick black liquid felt oily and sticky on her skin. "What is this? Ink?"

Ron approached the disgruntled girl to get a better look at the damage. "Could be," he said smiling. Peeves' impromptu air raid had served as an excellent ice breaker for the uncomfortable conversation he'd initiated. "Do you want some help with that?" he asked producing his wand and pointing it at one of the many black spots on her white button-down shirt.

Hermione grunted an affirmation before finding her own wand and getting to work. "Scourgify," she said pointing to a stain and watching it disappear. She couldn't imagine the amount of work it would take to remove this stain in the muggle world.

She felt a hand settle on her shoulder and turned to see fingers slipping under her crisply pressed collar. She was suddenly aware of the intimacy of their situation and, by the look in his eyes, so was Ron. Pressing his wand into a spot above her collarbone, he breathed deeply and whispered the magic words.

Hermione heard Ron gasp before he whipped around to hide his face against the wall. "Sorry!" he said, the embarrassment clear in his voice. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…I didn't see anything…"

Confusion plagued her for only a moment before she realized she was topless. "Oh my God, Ron!" she gasped, wrapping her arms around her bare body for cover. "You vanished my shirt!" _and my bra_, she added internally. _He was either not concentrating at all or a little _too_ much._

"And I didn't even bring my robe!" she complained, looking around for something to transfigure into a shirt.

"Here, it's fine, take my shirt!" Ron said, pulling the garment off while keeping his face buried in the wall.

Hermione snatched the shirt from Ron's outstretched hand, glad that he was still sporting a white undershirt. She couldn't imagine having a conversation with Ron if he'd been bare-chested as well.

The shirt he'd provided was exactly like hers except it was about five sizes too large. It hung down to her knees, so she tied the ends up to her waist and rolled the sleeves. "Okay, I'm decent," she said, buttoning the top button and pushing some pesky curls out of her eyes.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked, still too embarrassed to face her.

"Yes, turn around!" she ordered, quickly losing patience with the boy whose ears were as red as his hair.

"I'm so sorry Hermione, really. I didn't mean to do that. I must have cast a-"

"It's okay, Ron," Hermione interrupted, eager to move past this most embarrassing of topics. "I know it was an accident. Can we just talk about something else? Like the reason you suggested this meeting in the first place?"

Ron nodded, letting his eyes settle on the tempting sight of his large shirt tied up around her smaller body. Swallowing hard, he attempted to bring his mind back to the task at hand.

After seeing her eat alone at lunch, he'd approached Hermione to talk about "something important". The past few weeks had been unbearable and he couldn't put off mending their friendship any longer. He'd followed her out of the Great Hall and they'd been on their way to the common room to talk when Peeves started dive bombing everyone in the halls. They'd been forced to seek shelter behind the nearest door – this broom cupboard.

"Well, I guess, I just wanted to talk to you and…apologize for being such a complete arsehole lately." His ears maintained their signature redness and Hermione found it difficult to stay mad when he was looking so ashamed. It also helped that she felt completely guilty herself.

"It's okay; I haven't exactly been innocent in all this…I'm sorry too. I never meant to hurt you."

And just like that, things got back to normal. Ron accepted her apology and went on to ask how she'd been filling her time without him. Hermione told him about studying, Crookshanks, and everything else she could think of that didn't involve a certain blond Slytherin. Ron spoke of quidditch, his family and his almost-date with Padma Patil. It seemed like she'd finally gotten her friend back and she glowed with relief.

"So, should we go tell Harry the good news?" Ron asked heading for the door and offering his hand. "He's been nagging me to apologize for ages!"

"Me too!" she smiled, taking his extended hand. "Let's go."

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_Tonight's the night,_ Draco thought as he walked the halls on the way to the library. _It has to be. Why else would _she_ ask for the date? She knows I can't wait forev…_ "Shit!" His foot slid on something wet and he fell painfully backwards on the hard floor. "What the hell?" he shouted gathering his scattered belongings and righting himself. Pain throbbed through his ankle as he hobbled around examining the floor for puddles.

Just as he found the culprit (a large pool of black liquid), a door opened down the hall.

"I'm so glad we did this," came the unmistakable jingle of Hermione's voice. "I really missed you, Ron."

_Ron? "I'm glad we did this?" "I really missed you?" _Draco's eyes locked on the culpable girl standing stock still in front of him. He heard her surprised intake of breath and watched as she pulled her hand out of Weasley's slimy grasp.

"Malfoy," he heard Weasley snipe, but his eyes never left his girl.

All of the color had left her face as soon as she'd seen him. It was disgusting. She'd been so satisfied – both of them had – when she'd thought they were alone. Telling Weasley what a great shag he'd been. Probably pressed her up against the door of that filthy broom cupboard. The evidence so plainly obvious. His shirt tied up around her body. Her nipples visible through the light cotton. And those shit-eating grins; Draco's stomach roiled with revulsion. Disgusting.

"Take a bloody picture, why don't you?" Ron said, moving to shield Hermione from Draco's searing gaze.

"No thanks, Weasley," he growled, his lips curling up into an ugly sneer, "I think I've seen more than enough for one lifetime." His eyes slipped down to rest on Hermione's poorly concealed chest. "Is it cold in here, Granger?" he asked smoothly.

The Gryffindor gasped and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Ron just looked confused. That was an insult but he wasn't sure of its meaning. "It's about to get a lot colder if you don't watch your mouth, Malfoy."

Draco scoffed. "What does that even mean? Why don't you leave the talking to the big kids, yeah?"

"I'm bigger than _you_ ferret," Ron snapped, "and I could kick your ass right now if I wasn't in such a forgiving mood."

Reaching out instinctively, Hermione clutched Ron's arm to hold him back.

The move did not go unnoticed by Draco. _Who is she worried about? Him or me?_ "Oh yes, I'm sure you must be in a wonderful mood after such awkward, sticky, fumblings."

Ron opened his mouth like he was going to argue, but stopped mid-breath. "Fumblings?" His mouth snapped closed and a grin spread across his lips. "Right." He freed his arm from Hermione's hold and circled it around her shoulders.

"That's all you have to say, 'Right'?. Right what? Right, you're a lousy shag?" Draco's face was turning pink in his anger, his expression a mix of frustration and loathing.

Ron's grin morphed into a sideways smirk and it took all of Draco's self control not to hex the smug smile right off his freckled face.

"If I didn't know any better," Ron began, dragging Hermione past the Slytherin, "I'd say you were jealous."

"Jealous?" Draco choked, hoping to pull it off as a scoff. "Of what? A mudblood?" He drew his wand and pointed it at the back of the retreating boy who didn't stop to fight back.

"Stop it, Ron!" he heard Hermione whisper as she glanced over her shoulder and locked eyes with him. She looked sorrowful and he knew that his last words had hurt. But so what? She deserved it.

He stood stone-still until Ron dragged her around a corner and out of sight

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Hermione struggled to keep up with the boy who had a firm grip on her shoulders. Neither she nor Ron had spoken since their lofty departure and it seemed like Ron was staying quiet for self preservation. _As he should. _ It was only a matter of time before Hermione let him know what exactly was on her mind. _He practically told Draco that we're screwing! How could he?_ The only reason she hadn't scorched the hand that felt like contracted claws in her shoulder was that not twenty minutes before she'd been making up with the red-headed idiot.

_He doesn't know how lucky he is,_ she thought angrily. _Any other day…_

She tried to pull free from his grasp but he was having none of that. "You can let me go now," she said rolling her eyes dramatically.

Ron looked like he'd just awoken from a nap. "Oh, right," he said releasing her. He knew Hermione would be angry about what he said to Malfoy so he stayed quiet to await his punishment.

Seeing the guilty look on his face, Hermione decided to let him off the hook. Ron knew he'd been a git. She could tell. Besides, any new fights would not only put stress on their volatile truce, but also delay her meeting with Draco. A meeting she really needed to attend.

"You don't have to look so worried. I'm not going to kill you," she said pasting on a fake smile, "though I should." She shoved him playfully into a nearby statue.

"Ouch!" he laughed rubbing his side. "I know, I know. I'm sorry…but did you see his face? It was priceless!"

Hermione nodded noncommittally. She had seen his face. The look was one she wasn't likely to forget. He'd been mad. No, not mad – furious. She'd watched as he'd forced that sneer into place to conceal the stringent clench of his jaw. And his eyes – locked to hers – had said more than his practiced insults ever could. She'd hurt him.

Hermione Granger had hurt Draco Malfoy.

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_Why would she want Weasley, the clumsy, pushy, hot-headed, slobbering, ginger-haired sidekick, when she could have me, a charming, sexy, skillful, devilishly-handsome alpha-male?_

_There's really no contest. _

…_Oh yeah, and Weasley's poor. _

Draco paced the floor of a dusty cobwebbed lounge that he and Hermione discovered only days before. He was ten minutes early for their eight o' clock meeting.

"I don't get it," he said aloud. "I don't fucking get it." His voice echoed in the high-raftered room.

He squeezed his eyes shut to block out the image of Hermione in Weasley's shirt. _And where was her bra?_ Draco cringed. _On second thought…I don't want to know. _Maybe there was some sort of explanation. They were just talking. Alone. In a broom cupboard. And her shirt just disappeared. And he was forced to give her his. _Hmm…nope._

He continued to pace, imagining scenarios in which Hermione and Ron had been shagging for weeks, years even, and his hands began to tremble.

_Hermione in his shirt. Weasley in his undershirt. Faces red. Probably sweaty. _Draco could see none of the room in front of him, only the torturous scene his mind kept replaying. His hands curled into fists.

"_I'm so glad we did this, lover, I really missed your cock."_ Hermione's voice rang in his head. _"Let's not tell anyone. Draco can have your sloppy seconds…if I let him."_

BANG!

And Draco's hand was through the wall.

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Hermione hurried down the darkened second floor hallway hoping Draco would be at their meeting place.

She'd been able to slip out of Gryffindor unnoticed after purposefully engaging Ron and Harry in a conversation about quidditch. As she walked, she stewed in her guilt. That last look in his eyes tore at her heart.

She replayed the events of the afternoon in her head, remembering every detail, and deciding what she would tell Draco when she saw him. And the more she thought, the more she realized that she didn't quite feel guilty after all…in fact, she felt rather _angry_.

And now, as she went to find him, her inner monologue ranted with the petty ravings of an overactive conscience. Rationalizations like '_I've done nothing wrong' _and '_I don't answer to Malfoy'_ pumped through her mind.

As she rounded the last corner toward her destination, and began practicing her "nobody-owns-me" speech, she was startled by a thunderous echoing bang.

"Draco?" she yelled, her heart lurching into her throat. "Draco, was that you?"

She sprinted down the corridor toward the lounge, _their lounge._

Silence loomed thick around her; the heavy drum of her heartbeat drowned away any previous hostility until all that remained was her fear for him

She found the door handle nestled behind the tapestry of a brutal goblin battle, and turned it slowly.

"Draco?" she said, peeking her head into the room. Silence met her at first, and all she saw was the dusty shadowy lounge. She began to fear for her safety.

Another moment of silence passed before Draco decided to respond. "Yeah, it's me," he snapped from across the room.

Relieved, Hermione noticed the top of his blond head as he sat in chair facing the wall. He didn't turn to address her. _But at least he's here,_ she thought.

"What was that noise?" she asked timidly.

Draco mumbled something under his breath before answering. "Nothing; just me breaking every bone in my hand."

_What? _Hermione scanned the room and noticed the fist-sized hole in the wall. _Oh. _He must have hit it in his anger.

Quietness filled the room again, freezing her in place. She wanted to say something but her mind seemed as inactive as her feet. Somehow, her practiced speech didn't seem appropriate anymore.

Gathering her courage, she neared the Slytherin who was attempting to heal his left hand with his non-dominant right. The wand slipped out of his grip and clattered loudly on the floor. "Fuck!" he said frustrated.

"Do you want me to do that?" Hermione asked, picking up the wand and handing it back to him.

"No, not really," he answered, looking into her eyes with the iciest of glares.

Hermione steadied herself. She'd been prepared for this treatment. "Alright, well do you want to go to see Pomfrey?"

Of course this suggestion would tick him off, but his hand did look rather painful.

"No," he said beyond aggravated. "I'm fine."

His left hand lay limply across his lap and the large size and purplish color of his knuckles confirmed his claim that it was broken.

"Okay, but it looks really bad. You should really get it fixed because you need to know if…"

"Hermione!" he interrupted leaping to his feet, chest rising and falling rapidly, eyes wild. "The only thing I need to _know_ is – how long?"

The smaller girl backed up instinctually from the seething man before her. "How long?" she asked confused.

Draco smirked, broken hand completely forgotten. "Yes, how long have you been fucking him behind my back?"

A surprised gasp escaped from Hermione's lips as she saw the loathing in his eyes. Was this anger and resentment really for her? She knew he was mad, but come on! They weren't even dating…not officially. And 'behind his back'? He made it sound like he had some sort of claim on her.

"I haven't!" she said in her strongest voice. It wouldn't do any good to let him know how much he was affecting her. "I've never slept with Ron."

"Oh really?" Draco sneered, looking completely unconvinced. "It sure looked like you'd just given him the shag of his life this afternoon."

Hermione gritted her teeth. Jealousy really didn't suit him. "Nothing happened this afternoon," she reiterated, "but even if it did, I don't see how it would be any of your business."

"None of my business?" He threw his arms up dramatically. "The girl I've been pursuing for the greater part of the year boffs a Weasley in a broom cupboard, and it's none of my business?"

Hermione's cheeks went pink. _Pursuing!_ Her girly side preened for a second before she recovered and rolled her eyes. This was getting ridiculous. "I already told you, _nothing happened in that broom cupboard!"_

Draco turned over his shoulder in irritation, dropping his arms to his sides. "Then pray tell, Hermione, why did the pair of you come out wearing each others clothes?"

_Because Ron vanished my shirt! Oh wait…that sounds bad. _"We weren't wearing each other's clothes, Draco. He offered me his shirt because mine disappeared when we were trying to get the ink out after Peeves bombed us!" _Yeah._

He looked confused – angry and skeptical – but confused. "What?"

_Good, this is good. _She was getting a chance to explain. "Well, we were heading up to Gryffindor to talk when Peeves started throwing ink at everyone, so we ran into the broom cupboard to hide and my shirt was soaked, so we started trying to vanish the stains and we somehow ended up vanishing my shirt and oh, it was so embarrassing, but Ron gave me his shirt to be nice. It really wasn't a big deal; just looked bad."

"Really," Draco said flatly. It made sense; he'd slipped on that very ink, but he wasn't quite ready to let her off the hook. "And, who did you say made the shirt disappear?"

_Play dumb. _"Huh?"

"Your shirt. Who made it disappear?"

"Well, I'm not sure; I mean both of us were trying to get the stains out…"

"And what spell were you using?"

"Scourgify."

"Which doesn't make things disappear."

_When did this turn into an interrogation?_ "Draco, what difference does it make?"

"I doubt that you would make that mistake."

"Well, it probably wasn't _me_, but I know it was an accident."

"Really? And what happened to your bra? Didn't put one on this morning?"

"Of course I put one on! But really, what does it matter? Ron wasn't trying to do anything. He was so embarrassed when it happened; he turned around and gave me his shirt without even looking at me."

"Oh, I'm sure he didn't look at you. Come on, Hermione, he's in love with you."

"He's not in love with me! He likes me; we were dating not too long ago, but he's not in love with me."

"Okay, just keep telling yourself that."

Hermione huffed. This was going nowhere fast. "He's not. And I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Because you know it's true?"

"No, because it makes my friendship with Ron seem tainted."

"Well it is. He's in love with you, he was bringing you up to Gryffindor to get in your pants, and he vanished your shirt to get a cheap look at your tits!"

She felt like screaming. "Shut up, Draco. You're really starting to make me mad."

"I just thought you might like to know the truth," he said innocently.

"I think I know my friendship with Ron better than you."

He smiled as if he was about to explain something to a young child. "And I think I know the mind of a sex-deprived man better than you."

"I'm sure you do," she said angrily. "Can we just get back on topic?"

Draco stared as if contemplating her suggestion. "So, you and Weasley never…

"No. Like I already told you, I've never been with Ron…because, I mean, I've never been with _anyone_." Her cheeks colored and her voiced turned hesitant.

It wasn't a surprise. In fact it'd been more of a surprise thinking she'd actually shagged Weasley than that she was a virgin, but Draco felt relieved just the same.

"Well, okay then," he said, looking oddly charming, "crisis averted." He held his palms up and she placed his smaller hands in his. He winced as she rubbed her thumb over his swollen knuckles. "So, how about that hospital visit?"

**Stay tuned for the second part of **_**Hermione's Virginity**_** where everything important happens. **


	19. Ch 19 Hermione's Virginity Part II

**Ch 19 Hermione's Virginity (Part II)**

The following Wednesday, Hermione arrived early for potions, sat at a table near the back and awaited the beginning of class. Students trickled in after her, grabbing their cauldrons to begin brewing the potion they'd started on Monday. With only one minute to spare, Draco ran into the room and sat at the only available station – right next to Hermione. He'd been periodically showing up late for the last few weeks just so they'd be forced to sit together.

"Granger," he said in greeting as he set down his book and went to retrieve his brew.

"Malfoy," she replied not looking up from her work.

Pretending to hate each other was one of the couple's new favorite past times. Empty digs and sarcasm became a kind of foreplay.

"So, how shall we start off today?" Draco said opening his book and thumbing through it. "Oh I know! How about a joke?" He grinned and turned his whole body toward Hermione. "Alright Granger, what is the difference between a woman and a magnet?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and huffed, playing her part perfectly. "I don't know Malfoy, but I'm sure you're going to tell me."

"Right you are," he laughed dryly. "Magnets have a positive side!"

Hermione didn't react. "Wow, that is so creative," she said cutting up a small hairy caterpillar. "I've got a joke for you too; do you want to hear it?"

"No, but even Merlin himself couldn't stop you from having a bitch about it until you do, so shoot."

"Fuck you, Malfoy. That's not the joke, but seriously, fuck you." Hermione was trying her best not to smile. She guessed he was too. He always laughed when she cursed. "Anyway, here's the joke. What's the difference between a Malfoy and a snake?"

Draco smirked, "Insert penis joke here."

Hermione scoffed. "One is an evil, cold-blooded, venomous, slimy creature, and the other is a snake."

"Oh, well played, Granger," Draco said clapping his hands dramatically. He could hear a few eavesdroppers giggling behind him.

Just then, the doors slammed open and Professor Snape marched in. The class fell silent as the man who knew how to make an entrance, approached his desk. "I assume you all know what you're doing, so there will be no need to talk. You have the rest of the period to finish your work and have a sample on my desk. That is all." The greasy professor sunk into his chair and retrieved what appeared to be a crossword puzzle from his pocket.

Even Draco knew better than to talk during potions, but that didn't stop him from sneaking his hand onto Hermione's leg. He slid his long fingers up to her hip and then down between her legs to her warm inner thighs.

"Stop it," Hermione whispered trying unsuccessfully to pry his hand off. Looking around, she was glad the tall tables hid anything going on beneath them.

When the class period was over, Draco and Hermione cleaned their stations and delivered their samples. A few Slytherins gathered around their table expecting to leave as a pack.

"Still a prick?" Hermione asked as she watched the group head for the door.

Draco looked over his shoulder. "Still a bitch?"

Hermione shrugged pointedly and smirked as she watched him trot out of the room.

One Slytherin, however, didn't leave with the others.

Blaise Zabini had been waiting to talk to Granger for a while now. The little shows she and Draco put on in class were starting to make him sick. He wasn't Draco's biggest fan, but even _he _could see that something wasn't right here, and somebody needed to get to the bottom of things.

"Oi, Granger," he called as Hermione left the room.

She turned at the sound of her name and was surprised to see Blaise coming up behind her. "Yes?" she asked suspiciously.

"Hey, I just wanted to talk to you about a few things. Walk with me?"

"Er, okay," she agreed reluctantly.

He pretended not to notice. "So, sitting with Draco today must have really drove you nuts," he said tactlessly.

"…I guess so."

"Yeah, you'd think he'd make more of an effort to be on time. Seeing how you don't get along."

Hermione could see where this line of questioning was going, but didn't understand why he was talking to _her_ about it instead of Draco. "Yeah, you'd think," she said airily.

"Look," he said stepping ahead to cut her off, "I know what's going on between the two of you. I've seen you together. At night, sneaking off to meet up. What I don't understand is how you've got Draco so pussy whipped already."

Hermione watched as Zabini's normally handsome faced morphed into one of utter disgust. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, feeling trapped in the deserted dungeon hallway.

"Really?" he asked, sneering ferally. "Because when I talked to Draco about this whole arrangement you two have, he tried to blackmail me into keeping my mouth shut. That in itself seems pretty normal, right? But here's where things get a little strange. He made it sound like he was doing it to protect _your_ honor, instead of his image. And that's what I have a problem with."

"I don't really see how this has anything to do with me. It sounds like you and Malfoy have something to work out amongst yourselves." _Draco actually stood up for me?_

"No, see, that's where you're wrong," he laughed, leaning casually against the wall. "This has everything to do with you. Draco may not be my best friend, but he is a Slytherin, and too me, he might as well be my fucking brother. I don't really care about solving his relationship problems. What I care about is exposing you for the slippery little virus that you are, and earning myself a spot in his good graces."

"And what am I supposed to have done?" she asked calmly.

"Right, always the innocent," he said. "I'm not sure what you've done. Why don't you tell me? Was it another love potion?"

_Love potion? Is he crazy?_ "Eh, no. In fact, I don't know how it happened really. And I suggest that if you have any more accusations, you point them at Draco, and not me." With that Hermione stepped around him and marched away as quickly as dignity would allow. Since when did her relationship with Draco have anything to do with Blaise Zabini?

"Yeah, I'll do that, Mudblood," she heard him call behind her.

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"Granger, are you in there?" Draco whispered into the dark alcove.

"Yes, I'm here!" Her voice sounded sweet even in whispers.

"Good, follow me."

From the alcove nestled in a corner of the front hall, Draco led her out the front doors and down the steps onto the grounds. They saw no one, as most students had retired to their common rooms by this time on a Saturday night.

"Where are we going?" she asked wrapping her cloak tightly around her body to keep out the cold night air.

"You'll see," he said draping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his warmth. He'd been dreaming about taking her here for months. In fact, he'd had some very_ vivid_ dreams about _taking_ her here for months.

He led the way past the path to the black lake and continued on in the direction of the greenhouses. "We're almost there," he said as he directed her around the back of the glass structures.

"What are we doing back here?" she asked, seeing nothing but a cold empty lot.

Draco didn't answer. He let go of the girl and walked forward with his arms outstretched. Once his hand connected with the cool wood of the stable, he knocked quietly. "Hear that? It's a stable," he told her.

Hermione looked confused and crept forward to touch the invisible building. "Merlin!" she said when she felt it beneath her hands. "Can we go inside?"

Draco pushed open the invisible door. "After you."

The interior of the stable had been cleaned and prepared for the night. Draco had spent the earlier part of the evening removing all the hay and cobwebs as well as setting up candles and a blanket. He'd even charmed the earth beneath the blanket to feel softer than the frozen March soil.

"Woah," Hermione breathed as she entered the unfamiliar room. "How long have you known about this place?"

"Years," Draco whispered.

Suddenly a vision of naked flesh flashed before his eyes. He shook his head to clear it, but instead saw more images. He leaned against a wooden bench for support and saw his reoccurring fantasy more vividly than ever before.

_He was laying her back on the bench. Her knees pressed against his hips. He kissed her neck, chest, stomach, and found a delicious almond-shaped birthmark on her hip._

"It's amazing; perfect for us."

Her voice brought him out of his head. "Yes, it is," he choked. _Where did the birthmark fantasy come from? Did she really have one?_

The couple sat down on the blanket and began to talk. It felt good to be in a safe place where no one would interrupt them. For once, they didn't have to rush. Hermione was in the middle of a story about charms, when Draco had another extremely realistic vision.

_He was kicking off his boxers and climbing up her heated body. "Are you ready, Granger?" he asked, laying over her, positioned for entry. "Yes!" she answered, panting heavily and pushing some sweat soaked hair out of her eyes._

"Are you okay? Draco, what's wrong?"

Draco blinked wildly and realized where he was. His heart tried boldly to break from his chest. It seemed so _real_. "I'm fine, I just…" and before he could explain, he was kissing her.

He pounced on her like a predator pouncing on prey. His hands found both sides of her face and directed her to his kiss. His lips were eager, hurried, and rougher than they'd been in the past. And the more his lips pressed against hers, the more his body wanted. He felt like an addict getting a fix after being deprived for a year. Like this kiss, this connection, was something he'd been forced to live without. His body knew these kisses but his mind did not. This felt like one of his fantasies and for a brief moment, he wondered if it was.

"Hermione?" he asked breaking the kiss and looking into her eyes. "This is real, right? We're really here?"

Hermione looked at him curiously – lips swollen, hair a mess. "Yes, Draco, we're here." She slid her hand down his back to the fleshiest part of his ass cheek and pinched.

Her boldness surprised him.

"See? It's real," she whispered, a smile crawling onto her face.

She must have been right. She'd never done _that _in any of his fantasies. Nodding, he leaned into her again and was satisfied to feel her lift up to meet his kiss.

This time, it started slower. He kissed her lips, her jaw, her eyes, her neck before laying her back on the blanket and molding his body against hers. Her softness caused delicious tingles to run down his spine and tease his groin. He pressed his hardness against her thigh and was surprised once again when she pressed back.

Their lips connected in a searing kiss, her tongue doing indecent things against his. She really had come a long way in the kissing department and he was reaping the benefits now. He heard her moan in the back of her throat and felt the vibrations through her mouth. He moved his hand from its place on her arm and allowed it to roam freely up and down her left side. The edge of her cotton shirt rolled up under his fingers and he slid his hand beneath it getting his first feel of hot smooth skin.

Normally at this point, he would rub her stomach trying to gauge how far she would let him go, but not tonight. Tonight was about passion, so he let his hand slide all the way up to her perfect breast which he palmed firmly through her satin bra. She breathed heavily into the kiss and Draco felt her back arch up into his touch.

Soon he felt her hands on his skin, squeezing gently into his back. She began gathering his shirt and dragging it up to his shoulders. He leaned back and lifted his arms, allowing her to pull the shirt all the way off and discard it. Taking her cue, he sat back on his heels and pulled her up by her hands until she too was sitting upright. She crossed her arms in front of her nervously, grabbed both corners of her fitted top, and slowly pulled it off over her head.

Her skin was pure and pink with excitement. Luscious breasts rose with each eager breath while locks of loose curls pooled above and between them. Her beauty was startling and for the first time, he felt compelled to tell her.

"You're stunning," he whispered reaching out to touch the valley between her breasts, becoming mesmerized by the rapid heart beat he found there.

She lowered her shoulders, allowing her bra straps to fall loosely down her arms. One hand, then the other, curled up behind her and unfastened the back clasp. The two elastic sides fell, and the only thing keeping the garment in place was the hand holding it in the middle. Draco's breaths became shallow and rapid as he closed his hand around the thin material and pulled back to expose her flawless virgin breasts.

He looked from the newly uncovered flesh to the eyes of the hesitant girl, letting approval read all over his face. He stepped forward, placed both hands on her slim waist, and lowered his lips until they ghosted over her softest skin. She gasped feeling the moist heat of his mouth close upon her and arched into his mouth when he ran his tongue over her nipple. Her arms closed behind his head, cradling him while he pleasured her.

Before long, the couple was kissing again, Hermione on her back with Draco atop her. The new experience of skin on skin was enough to send both teens into a state of uncontrollable arousal. Without even thinking, Hermione found herself unbuttoning Draco's trousers and pushing them and his pants down his legs. A few lifts of her hips and kicks of her feet, and she was bottomless as well.

And suddenly, this was further than she'd ever planned to go. His hardness was between her legs rubbing against her. His hands everywhere, feeling, touching, teasing. He grabbed her thigh and hooked it behind him creating a perfect position for his entrance.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his whole body panting against hers.

She closed her eyes, pushing her worries out of her head and focused on the ache of her body, "Yes."

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The next morning Draco sat in the Slytherin common room reading the Sunday edition of the Prophet and thinking about the night before. He couldn't help the smirk that crept onto his face.

Last night had been good. Perfect. Everything he'd been fantasizing about and more. He hadn't wanted to leave her. Her smooth skin, pale breasts, flushed cheeks. She was a goddess and he couldn't know for sure, but he thought last night may have been the best sex of his life.

She'd been different than the other virgins he'd been with. There was no sharp intake of breath, no "wait, that hurts", no blood even. It was like they were practiced veterans who knew every pleasure zone on each others' body.

Yes, she had been good. He wondered when they could do that again.

"I talked to Granger the other day," came the voice of Blaise Zabini.

Draco clenched his jaw in irritation. "What do you want, a prize?"

"No," said the boy who seated himself in the chair across from Draco, "but I did learn some interesting information. Something you'd want to know."

The blond rolled his eyes. This was so melodramatic. "Care to share?" he asked.

"Yes," Blaise said flatly. "In fact, after our conversation – you know the one where you threatened to expose my muggle fetish if I told anyone about her – I realized that you didn't know what was going on any better than I did. I couldn't understand why you'd hide your fling when you used to date her openly. But now I know the reason."

_He's cracked. _"What do you mean, 'I used to date her openly'?" Draco asked, baffled.

Blaise nodded. "See, it's like I thought; you don't remember. Granger used to be your girlfriend."

"When?" he snapped, leaning forward, newspaper tossed aside. His mind drudged up a memory of something Sienna had said to him once in an argument. _"Draco, you told me that you pretended to date her…"_ At the time, he'd thought Sienna was nutters, but now he wasn't so sure.

"I don't know, maybe October. But, the better question is, why don't you remember it?"

_I don't know._ He sat in his chair wracking his brain for a hint of what Blaise was talking about. The sound of stones moving distracted him as Pansy came in from the hallway.

"Hey Pans?" Draco asked. "Did I ever go out with Granger?"

The slender girl paused behind a sofa giving him a strange look. "Yeah. What, did you block it from you memory?" She laughed dryly and continued on her path up the stairs.

"See?" Blaise reached into his robes to retrieve a pack of cigarettes. "Here," he said offering one to Draco and then taking one himself.

Draco was in shock. Why couldn't he remember this? What kind of dark magic could make you forget a relationship that spanned a period of time? Obliviate couldn't do it. It would have wiped out his whole memory.

"And there's something else," Blaise said, interrupting his train of thought. "You probably won't remember this, but last time, you were dosed with some kind of a love potion to make you like her."

Draco was speechless. Honestly, what could he say?

"Yeah, so when I was talking to her, I asked if she used another love potion on you, but she said 'not this time'. She said she wasn't sure why you liked her this time."

"Are you saying that _she_ gave me the love potion before?" Draco asked. It didn't make sense. Hermione would never do anything like that. _Would she?_

"That's what it sounded like," Blaise nodded, taking a long drag on his cigarette for dramatic effect.

_So, Hermione gave me a love potion, we dated, then I lost my memory, and now we're dating again?_ "I just don't think she would do that. She never liked me."

"Well, she likes you now," Blaise said. "And she's smart enough to brew it and dose you without getting caught. She probably Obliviated you because you found her out. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"Maybe," Draco shrugged. "Either way, I need to get my memory back."

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"Professor Snape?"

Loud obnoxious knocking. "Professor Snape? Sir?"

Didn't students know better than to disturb him on a Sunday afternoon? This was his day of rest. His day of child-free, idiot-free, rest. "Just a minute," he growled, wrapping his blackest most billowy robes around his daywear before tearing open the door. "Yes?"

Draco stepped back, unused to seeing that hateful look pointed his way. "Can I have a word, sir? It's important."

"I'll be the judge of what's important," Snape sneered. "Tell me what it's in regards to, and I'll let you know if it's worth my time."

"Yes, sir," Draco said, peering down the hall to make sure no one was within hearing range. Of course, someone was _always_ within hearing range with all the portraits hanging around. "Well, I think I've been the victim of a memory charm and I was hoping to find a way to reverse it."

Snape looked undecided, like he wasn't sure if this was Sunday afternoon worthy or not. "I might be able to help you," he said at last. "Let's go to my office."

Once in the Potions Master's office, Snape sat down at his desk and signaled Draco to take the seat opposite him. It must have been the most uncomfortable chair in the history of furniture and Draco wondered if Snape transfigured it so, to torture students.

"Now, Mr. Malfoy, tell me about this memory charm." Snape was well aware of the lust potion incident as well as the Mind Wipe potion, but he didn't want to play his hand yet. Best wait to see what the boy had to say.

Draco told his head of house about the conversation he'd had with Blaise, the confirmation from Pansy, and even the thing Sienna had said. "You see, something _must_ have happened. I just want to know what it was."

Snape looked at the boy for a long time. "I see. Tell me, did you ever think that maybe you altered your _own_ memory? For a good reason? Perhaps there's something you wanted to forget."

That was an interesting idea. Draco hadn't considered this. "I don't think I would ever do that to myself, sir. It just doesn't sound like me."

"Maybe not, but Draco, desperate times call for desperate measures. Perhaps it was your only option at the time." The dark man swiveled in his chair to select a book from a shelf. "I would hate to help you undo something that you'd wanted. That you'd needed. That you'd done for your own protection."

"Why would I need to protect myself from knowing about a girlfriend?" Draco asked. Why was Snape being so mysterious?

Snape looked up from the book he'd been perusing and turned it around to Draco. "It wasn't a memory charm," he said pointing to a section in the book. "It's called the Mind Wipe and it's used to combat the side effects of lust potions. It's extremely powerful, targeting and blocking all memories linked to a certain event. I'd imagine that if you took this potion, you meant to."

Draco read the passage, and then read it again. He must have been having relapses from the lust potion and decided to use the Mind Wipe to stop them. Well, he didn't need his memories blocked anymore; not after what he and Hermione did last night. "Is there a way to undo it?" he asked his professor.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Snape asked, arching a black brow. "You understand the implications of that course of action?"

"Yes, sir," Draco said, trying his best to hold back his smirk and failing. "It won't make a difference; believe me."

Snape's eyes narrowed minutely. That was a bit of an over-share. "Turn the page," he ordered.

Draco did as told and read the small section about the antidote. "Cat pee? I have to drink cat pee?"

"How bad do you want your memories back?"

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"Here kitty, kitty, kitty," Draco called, searching his dorm for Atlas. _Where is that damned cat?_ He really wanted to get this over with before he lost his nerve. "Gotcha!" he said, feeling a poof of fur behind the dresser.

"Alright, let's hope you've had enough to drink today," he said, pulling the grumpy sac of fur out from his hiding place and settling him over a bread pan. Holding the cat with one hand, he aimed his wand at its round tummy and said the spell to induce urination. This spell had been a favorite of his in his formative years. Just stand behind a wall, say the magic words, and watch as your victim pees his pants.

"Hey! What are you doing to my cat?" Crabbe said, as he chose that very moment to enter the dorm.

Draco grumbled. He should have locked the door. He couldn't believe Crabbe's timing. _Oh, nothing. Just getting some pee to drink._ "I needed cat pee for a potion."

"Oh," Crabbe said sitting on his bed and laughing. "That's disgusting."

"Yes, it is," he agreed, letting go of the scandalized creature who skulked off to hide. "Well I'm off to finish this; my _special ingredient_ needs to be fresh."

Draco left the room and took the pan into the bathroom. There really were no other ingredients. Just a fresh glass of warm urine.

He conjured up said glass and poured into it the translucent yellow liquid. Then, he placed a binding spell on his tongue so he wouldn't be able to taste. This was a handy trick that mothers of fussy children used when getting them to take their medicine. _Bottoms up_, he thought wryly as he tipped the glass back swallowing its contents in one gulp.

"Ack!" He was choking. That was horrible._ Horrible._ Even the binding spell hadn't helped. His stomach clenched and he felt like he would be sick any moment. Summoning some tooth paste, he brushed his teeth three times before chucking his toothbrush in the bin.

Suddenly, he began feeling woozy, drunk even. He teetered over to the showers and plopped down on an accompanying bench. Images, scenes, conversations were pooling into his mind. Pushing and fighting to the front.

_Kissing Hermione, her first time, being petrified outside the front doors. writing fake love notes, tearing her clothes off._ All of his fantasies! _Dreaming about her, taking her in the trophy room._

Then –

_Talking to Pansy, "Not everyone is going to be as forgiving as I am about this whole 'affair with a mudblood' thing." Bitch slapping Weasley. "…she_ _was practically begging for it. I'm actually surprised she was still a virgin."_ _Being ambushed by Hermione, "…we need to take this potion," "How about one more shag for old time's sake?"_

It was real. It was all real.

**Hi friends! Thanks for all of the awesome reviews to the fist part of this chapter!**


	20. Ch 20 Rerelapse

**Ch 20 Re-relapse**

"…I know! And she came in so late! I pretended to be asleep, but it must have been two in the morning…"

"…What do you think she was doing?"

"More like _who_…"

(Loads of girlish giggling)

"…Quiet! You'll wake her…"

_I'm already awake!_ Hermione listened to her roommates' gossip. How could anyone sleep through that?

This morning, she'd opened her eyes feeling better than she had in…well, ever. Her bed was warm, her pillows soft, and her heart was doing giddy little cartwheels in her chest. She'd stretched sluggishly with only one word on her mind – _Draco._ She could still smell him in her hair, a distinctive manly scent, so essentially _him._

Just as she was about to roll out of bed and get ready for breakfast, Parvati and Lavender began their talk Now trapped, she stared at the ceiling to wait them out.

Luckily, she had only to wait five minutes before she was able to enjoy an empty room.

She stood up, tied her hair back in a ponytail and headed to the bathroom. She was happy. _Really happy._ The cheesy grin, bounce in your step, kind of happy.

When she returned to her room and began picking out her clothes, she paused to look in the mirror. _I look different. _Her skin seemed to glow.

She hadn't expected to feel any differently after sex. In fact, she hated all those romance-novel fallacies that said she _would_, but here she was, feeling different. She blushed remembering what she'd done the night before.

She hadn't meant to fuck him. I mean, she _had_, just not _yet. _After all the times she'd kissed and laid with him, she'd known it would happen sooner or later, but she never actually thought the time would come. It was always something she'd worry about tomorrow.

Well, hello tomorrow.

She pulled on her jeans and laughed. Everything she'd heard or read about sex had been wrong. Well, not _everything, _the mechanics of it were right, but all of those things a girl hears growing up about what it's actually _like_, were wrong.

Case in point: pain. It didn't hurt. God, how it didn't hurt! There had been many sensations running through her body, but pain wasn't one of them.

And awkwardness? She distinctly remembered Lavender telling her how embarrassing it had been the night she'd lost her virginity. The rhythm was all wrong and the position seemed funny. Hermione couldn't understand how that could happen. From her limited experience, there was no possibility for awkwardness. Every move was a good one.

And the biggest myth, the one she'd been most surprised to bust, was that a girl gets no pleasure her first time. _Are you kidding me?_

She felt sorry for all of the girls who had to suffer through painful, pleasureless sex, but at the same time, a little smug that she'd managed to do it right on the first try.

Finishing up her minimal makeup routine, she headed downstairs for breakfast.

Harry and Ron were waiting by the stairs, as always, and the group walked down to the Great Hall together, talking and joking like old times.

Hermione felt the anticipation rising in her chest that she would get to see Draco soon_. I wonder when he'll want to meet next_. She'd made sure to wear her message ring today. She hadn't even taken it off to wash her face; couldn't risk it falling down the sink!

"What are you smiling about?" Harry asked, noticing the stupid grin she wore.

"Oh, nothing, I'm just glad it's Sunday."

"Yeah, one more day of peace," Ron said, "by the way, where were you last night? Harry and I wanted to see how many thimbles of firewhiskey it would take to get you drunk." Both boys broke into laughter. They'd tried that experiment before – 7 thimbles.

"Ha, ha. Very funny," Hermione said. "Where do you think I was? NEWTs are only two months away!" Lying came so easily these days and studying for NEWTs made the perfect alibi.

"Right," Harry said.

"That's our little book-worm. Locked away studying on a Saturday night," Ron said.

_If you only knew!_ Hermione thought.

The trio sat down at their table and the conversation continued. Hermione tried her best to be covert, but couldn't help glancing at the Slytherin table.

He wasn't there.

He was probably having a lie in. They _had_ been out rather late.

Still, every time the doors opened she found herself checking to see who'd arrived.

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White.

Blinding white.

Draco blinked, unable to open his eyes under the searing whiteness. His back felt stiff and he tried to stand up but fell hard onto the tile floor. Tile?

Oh right. He was in the bathroom. He must have blacked out.

His mouth tasted stale and his stomach felt weak, but neither compared to the throbbing in his head. He crawled to the nearest toilet and vomited. Ugh.

Stripping off his clothes, he hobbled to the showers and immersed himself in hot water. His body relaxed immediately and he pushed every persistent thought out of his mind. There would be time to think later.

Half an hour passed before Draco felt able to shut off the water and dry himself. He walked back to his room toweling his hair and letting a few of his new memories play in his head.

First things first, Blaise was wrong. Hermione wasn't responsible for that lust potion. She would never have used a potion with such side effects; she would have known better. Plus, the first time they'd been together, her _real_ first time, she'd been just as horrified as he had. No, Hermione wasn't guilty; she was a victim.

Hermione, the girl he was falling in love with.

What was he supposed to do now? None of his fantasies had been fantasies. They were just fragmented memories his mind was trying to piece together. And he had based so much on those fantasies. He'd thought he really wanted her, that she was special enough to catch his eye, but it was nothing but memories all along. Memories based on drug induced sex that had nothing to do with intimacy. Sex for the sole purpose of satisfying the lust. His feelings weren't real.

Were they?

Even with this new knowledge, his feelings hadn't changed. Perhaps it was too late. Perhaps it didn't matter. He was falling for this girl and it made no difference how it started. He only hoped she'd feel the same way.

Maybe she would. Maybe she wouldn't.

She had been the one who brewed the Mind Wipe and asked him to take it. She'd wanted to stop seeing him, to stop screwing him. What's to say she'd feel any different now? His insecurity grew.

She can't find out. He couldn't let her get those memories back and leave him. At least not yet. He would wait; tell her someday when the time was right. For now, he could live with the guilt.

It was a shame, though. A girl should know how she lost her virginity. Especially since she thought it'd happened last night. No wonder the sex was so good. Her mind may have forgotten all of their previous escapades, but her body hadn't.

Draco sighed. He finished dressing, and looked at the clock, dinner time. Good, he was famished.

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At dinner, Draco and Hermione spent the entire meal watching each other. They stared, winked, smiled, and blushed (Hermione, not Draco…Malfoy's don't blush!).

It was no surprise then, when Hermione felt the warmth of a message on her right ring finger.

_Let's go upstairs. _She blushed again. The message was so demanding.

"I'm finished; I think I'll head up early." Harry and Ron waved her off and no one seemed to notice that she practically skipped out of the room.

Not a minute later, Draco was leaving as well.

When the doors closed behind him, Hermione pounced. Flinging herself into his arms, she kissed him boldly, unconcerned that someone might see. Draco didn't seem worried either as he ran his hands down her back and up into her hair. "Come on," he said against her lips.

He attempted to lead her up the stairs, but Hermione was far too wound up to follow his direction; she kept pinching his ass and stopping to kiss him. "Control yourself," he scolded playfully, "or I shall be forced to do it for you."

She smiled slyly and slipped her hands under his shirt. "Promise?"

Draco arched a brow. Since when did Hermione get so frisky? "You've left me no choice," he said hoisting her up into his arms, bridal style.

He expected her to complain, or at least to fight back, but she didn't. She used the opportunity to wind her arms around his neck and whisper into his ear. "You look sexy tonight."

Draco was shocked. He never thought Hermione would act this way. _I should have shagged her months ago…wait, I did._ Suddenly he felt mildly guilty. _I should tell her; she deserves to know. _

"What's wrong?" she said, nipping his ear lobe.

He smiled and looked her straight in the eyes. _Now's the time_. "Hermione…"

"Yes?" She shook her hair from her eyes to look at him properly.

She looked so sweet and happy that Draco lost his nerve; and more than that, the impatient bulge in his pants clouded his judgment. He didn't want to start a serious discussion when, in a few minutes, he could be having sex with her. "Nothing, we're here."

He pushed open the door to their lounge and dropped her onto the nearest couch. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked, retrieving his wand and warding the door.

"You have no idea," she said, grabbing his tie and pulling him on top of her. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about last night."

He groaned. "Neither have I."

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Harry rummaged through his cluttered trunk, brushing over loose socks, broken quills, and a worn-out quidditch glove before feeling the familiar crinkle of old parchment. He pulled out the map and spread it open on his bed. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Small dots appeared, first showing '_Harry Potter'_ in the Gryffindor boy's dormitory, then extending to reveal the rest of the castle. Once the library appeared, he scanned the page for her name, but didn't find it. She said she'd be there, studying all night. He checked the prefects' study lounge, then the astronomy tower, but still found nothing. He had a sickening suspicion of where she might be, or rather, who she might be with.

His eyes sought out the dungeons and searched Slytherin House for the bastard's name.

Nothing.

So they were off somewhere together. Just as he'd thought.

It wasn't difficult to find them. He began inspecting the rooms with the fewest occupants – a boy and girl in a classroom on the second floor, two girls in the bathroom on the third, then a lone dot in a small room on the fourth, _'Draco Malfoy'_.

Oh

So, he'd been wrong. Malfoy was alone (although what Malfoy was doing alone on the fourth floor seemed rather suspect). He shouldn't have doubted his friend. She was probably in some quiet room with her nose in a book, like she'd said.

Retrieving his wand and pointing it at that map, Harry began to mumble the concluding words. "Mischief man…"

He stopped. Malfoy's dot had moved. A new dot appeared where his had been. _'Hermione Granger'_. He hadn't been able to see her before; they must have been _overlapping_.

_No!_ He crumpled the map and threw it across the room. _I thought her potion was supposed to take care of this!_

"What the hell is she thinking?"

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A few days later, Draco sat in Ancient Runes, the most painfully boring class ever. _I'm never going to use any of this, _he thought resentfully.

"Take out a blank parchment," the professor squeaked, "we're having a quiz."

Draco rolled his eyes. This was bloody ridiculous. He pulled out his parchment and the quiz questions appeared.

_1. Translate this rune:_ (a picture of some 'X" looking thing)

Draco remembered the professor talking about land masses, so he scribbled something down about fjords. _This quiz can suck it, _he thought. Marks didn't matter, just NEWTs.

Five minutes was all it took for Draco to fill in the two answers he knew and eight he didn't. He stared off into space while waiting for the rest of the class to finish.

It'd been three days since his last romp with Hermione and he wondered when he could see her again. As the NEWTs drew nearer, it was becoming increasingly difficult to pull her from her studies. And why was she so worried about them anyway? She - the smartest witch to grace these halls in decades.

_But she doesn't know everything, _Draco smirked, _there are still things I could teach her. _His corrupt mind came up with a few things he would love to teach her right now.

If she only knew about all of their previous experience she'd be much more confident in (and out of) bed. He wouldn't need to be so careful and patient with her. He could just slam her up against a wall, rip off her clothes, and fuck her. Or he could bend her over a desk in an empty classroom and pound into her without any tedious foreplay. Or maybe she could get on top and ride him recklessly while he watched her breasts bounce up and down with every rise of her hips.

Draco's eyes glazed over. He felt a twitch in his trousers but didn't move to cover his burgeoning erection. His mind was gone, lost in the land of flopping funbags. He didn't even notice that he was periodically lapping at an air-breast or that his hands circled the made-up melon and squeezed its fictitious flesh.

The other students, however, had noticed. As well as the professor.

"Cute, Mr. Malfoy," the professor said shaking her head. "Five points from Slytherin."

Draco startled at her voice. _Woah,_ he thought. He'd just been fucking Hermione in his head. He'd lost connection with reality; completely forgotten he was in class. He tried to clear his mind of those stimulating images, but failed. His body was already aroused and he found it difficult to ignore the physical reaction.

Suddenly he was sweating. He remembered this feeling. A relapse. It seemed he'd gotten more than just memories back from the antidote. His breath was coming in quick raspy gasps.

_Calm down. Think of something repulsive…er, drinking cat wee, Snape naked (shudder), dingleberries, Hermione's tight pus- wait…it was working…shit!_

Failure. He couldn't get sex out of his head. In fact, he could think of nothing else. He'd nose-dived straight into the relapse.

Standing up, and knocking over his chair in the process, he fled the room. He needed her. He needed her now!

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"…which is why you must, _must_, be able to transfigure inanimate objects into owls, if not for convenience, then for safety. An owl could save your life…"

The familiar warmth of her message ring distracted Hermione from her diligent note-taking.

'_I need to see you,'_ it read.

A vague message…seemingly rushed.

Messages never came in the middle of the day, especially during class. _'Where? When?'_ she replied.

A minute passed.

'_In the hallway. Now!'_

_Now? _Why did he need to see her now? Something must be wrong.

She raised her hand to be excused.

Professor McGonagall looked personally offended, like Hermione had committed a social faux pas by interrupting her lecture, but granted permission.

Hermione wasted no time removing herself from the classroom.

She dashed into the hall looking for any sign of pale blond hair. "Malfoy?"

No answer. The eerie quite of the hallway broke only under the clacking of her shoes. "Hello?"

Suddenly, he appeared from behind a statue. "Draco! You startled me!"

"Sorry," he growled, capturing her hands and dragging her to the nearest unoccupied room.

He looked like crap – messy hair, shirt half-untucked, tie loosened, eyes crazed. His breathing seemed anxious and strained.

"What's going on?"

As soon as the door closed behind them, Draco was all over her. He caged her in his arms, crushing her smaller body into his larger one. She felt puffs of warm breath on her forehead. "I'm so glad you came. I need you." His lips smashed against hers, kissing wildly.

At first, she let him kiss her, getting carried away in her own passion, but then the dutiful student pushed to the surface and she drew back. With hands tangled in his shirt-tails, she found herself panting as heavily as he. "Is this why you pulled me out of class?"

He nodded, but didn't appear to be listening. One of his hands gripped her waist while the other began to sneak under her skirt. His eyes followed the stray hand which began hiking up the pleated material.

She rolled her eyes, "I'm up here." Her lips pulled an admonishing smile. School rules needed to be respected (to some extent). They should really get back to class. She couldn't believe he'd dragged her out to _snog._

His eyes crawled to hers and the intensity in them stole her breath. They oozed lust.

His rogue hand abandoned its quest up her skirt and moved to the back of her head to direct her into another kiss.

"Draco! Will you _stop_ it?"

She pushed against his chest while he coiled his arms tighter around her middle. "I want to go back to class." Her voice sounded whiney and it bothered her. She cleared her throat and tried to pry his arms off.

His hold wouldn't break. "Forget about class." He leaned in with the weight of his whole body forcing her to shuffle awkwardly backwards as he advanced.

Her hands were still behind her back digging sharp nails into his forearms. She leveled her eyes. "Let me go, Draco. Now!"

He squeezed his eyes closed and inhaled a pained breath. He looked sad, like knew he was wrong, like he wanted to stop but couldn't. When his eyes reopened, Hermione felt a gush of panic roll through her. He looked resigned; sorry, but resigned. He wasn't going to stop.

"I _can't._" He resumed his attack on her neck, kissing and running his teeth over her collarbone.

She could feel sticky moisture wiping across her skin and she cringed.If she could just get a hand free, she could go for her wand. _Her wand! Shit!_ She pictured it, a room away, sitting snugly in her robe pocket.

His hand resumed its path up her thigh, creeping into her underwear. His erection jabbed into her hip, rock hard, r_eady. _His forehead pressed into her neck. It was feverish and damp. Something was _definitely_ wrong with him.

"_Don't_." Her words felt lost and her body still restrained.

His mouth found her ear. "I really need you right now, Hermione. Can't you just–" Shifting arms moved like tentacles until one hand was able to slip between the buttons of her blouse. Hot fingers burned against her fear-blushed skin.

"Stop!" Panicking, she swung closed fists at his chest, ribs, and shoulders. _Oh god, oh god, oh god! _"Draco, stop it! Let me go right now!" She tried to wriggle free from his grip, but he was too strong. She could feel his breath on her neck; he was panting heavily. She planted a hand on his face and threw it violently back.

For a moment she was free and she turned to flee the room. The brass door knob was just out of reach when he caught her around the waist and slammed her forward into the wall.

"Hermione please, I need this!" Her arms were pinned to her sides, face scratching against the cold stone, shirt catching in its roughness.

"Ow, let me go! Let me go! Please! Stop!" Her arms, face, lips, chest, and shoulders ached with her struggle. Adrenaline pounded thick and eggy in her throat. Pulsing gushes of blood pumped in her ears. She tried to kick backwards, but he easily avoided her attempts.

"I don't want to hurt you, can't you just want this?"

_Was he insane?_ "NO! Let go!"

He was whispering something while his hand slid under her shirt. "I should have told you. Then you wouldn't be fighting. You'd be right here with me."

Her wrists stung with the effort to struggle free. "Told me what?"

He didn't answer. One of his legs settled between hers, separating them. "We don't have to have sex." He whispered harshly, as if trying to strike a deal. "You could just–" he pushed his hardness into her lower back, "go down on me…I think that'd work."

Appalled, Hermione gulped the metallic fear back. She needed to do something; something to get away. "S-sure, yeah…let's do that." Her shaky voice broke on the last word. "I'm going to need to turn around."

He started to let go, then stopped. "Promise you won't leave?" His voice sounded frantic and she was glad she couldn't see his face.

"Yes, I promise."

Her hands were loosened and he stepped back just far enough for her to turn around. She got down on her knees and heard his groan of anticipation as he slid his hands to her shoulders. She couldn't act while he was holding her. "Open your pants," she said looking up in an attempt to be sexy.

Relief glowed on his face and he eagerly busied his hands with his belt.

Not waiting a moment longer, she gripped his calves and whispered the magic words. "Petrificus totalus."

He froze; Hermione stood. She rushed back closing her shirt and smoothing her hair. "Draco, I'm sorry. I…" And she _was_ sorry. She could see the anger and betrayal in his eyes and she was sure he could see the same in hers.

Out in the hall, she breathed for what felt like the first time in a long time. Her shoulders slumped tiredly against the door, sobs filling her throat. She choked for breath; tears filled her eyes. One word kept repeating in her head – _Why?_

Conjuring a piece of parchment and a quill, she scribbled a note and headed up to the owlry to send it off.

_Parkinson, _

_Malfoy is in the room next to McGonagall's. He's been petrified. Just thought someone should know. _

**As always, thanks so much to everyone who reviewed. It means a lot to me that people are still interested my story. I know I may be one of the slowest updaters ever, but I do my best. I have a lot going on and not a lot of time. Never fear though, I will not abandon this story. It is so close to conclusion; it must be finished. **


	21. Ch 21 The Silent Treatment

_**Previously on IDTTPJ**_**: Back in November, Draco had his first relapse in Herbology. He caught up with Hermione after class where she used wandless magic to petrify him and leave him on the front lawn. He was later rescued by Pansy. Now he is in the same situation. He got his memories back and with them, his relapses. Hermione is still in the dark about their history and petrified him after he tried to force himself on her. Also, before Hermione took the Mind Wipe potion, she forced Harry and Ron to take a wizard's oath, promising not to tell her about Draco or the lust potion. **

**Ch 21 The Silent Treatment**

Pansy Parkinson sat in her 7th year elective course: _Society Life for the Modern Witch_. She was just putting the finishing touches on her "Accessorizing for Success" diagram when a plain brown owl swooped in and landed on her table. She took the note from the owl and shooed it away.

She unfolded the torn parchment and read it quickly. "Professor? I've just received an urgent message, may I be excused?"

"Why Miss Parkinson," the older woman said, "what an eloquently vague request; perfect for a society woman. You may go."

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His body strained for release, stomach aching with unused energy. He hated the feeling of being locked in a prison of his own body. The muscles in his arms and legs contracted painfully, futilely. And his arousal was worse. The swell in his pants had been frozen unnaturally erect for too long. His fingers, frozen atop his belt buckle, itched to relieve it. He worried that it would be damaged. Merlin, he'd AK her if his prick didn't recover. _I'm going to kill her,_ he thought, breathing quickly through the part in his lips, _Fuck her, then kill her._

Because his body still wanted her. The pain was secondary to the lust. He could have had her here and willing if he hadn't been such an idiot. There had been plenty of opportunities to tell her about the lust potion and everything that'd happened afterwards. But he'd chosen not to. He'd been afraid of the risks. He hadn't considered this particular risk, however.

It turned out, he wasn't actually angry with her at all. And if he let himself think it, though he was doing everything in his power to push it from his mind, he knew he'd seriously damaged their relationship. The look of fear on her face when she'd tried to fight him off haunted him already. He only hoped she would give him the chance to explain himself. That is, if she ever talked to him again. He was suddenly grateful to be frozen. He couldn't bear what could have happened if she hadn't been able to do wandless magic. How far would he have gone?

He heard the door open, rather than saw it; his eyes cast down as they were. Tears pooled in his eyes. It was painful to keep them open for so long. He hoped whoever found him was friendly – a Slytherin – or even, at this point, a teacher. He hoped, nearly prayed, with the persistent chant in his head, that it wasn't Potter. He couldn't imagine the ridicule that would follow being found frozen, fully aroused, with tears in his eyes. _Please don't let it be Potter_.

"So you are here," came a voice he'd recognize anywhere. A voice that sounded sweet to him despite her smug tone. Pansy's voice. "When I got the letter, I wasn't sure it'd be true. Could have been a prank, you know. But, here you are. Looks like she got you again."

He wanted to sneer. Couldn't the teasing wait until after he was free?

"I should leave you," he could hear the shuffling of her feet and the rustling of her robe. "You made your own bed by chasing after that mudblood."

_Bitch, if you leave me like this, I swear to the Dark Lord himself, you'll never see…_

"I won't though. What kind of a friend would I be if I left you here in your time of need?" She was right in front of him now and he could see the tips of her school-approved black shoes. She chuckled like she'd heard his thoughts. She probably knew him well enough to know what he was thinking. "But first, I have some things I've been meaning to tell you."

_How very Slytherin of her_, he thought. He'd be proud if he wasn't so annoyed.

"Alright, well, I guess I'll just say it." She paused for a moment like she was organizing her thoughts, then took a deep breath, "What in Merlin's name are you doing? Look at yourself! You are petrified with a tent in your pants the size of London. Who knows how long you've been like this – or how long you would've been if I hadn't come."

He wanted to cringe. That was something he'd been worried about himself – how long he'd be stuck there. He'd hoped it wouldn't be days, but he'd known it was possible.

"And for what?" She was still talking. "A mudblood? I told you I didn't care about that, and really I don't. You can screw whomever you please, but not when it's affecting you like this. I mean, do you actually think you have a future with her? Would you really sacrifice generations of blood purity for some physical attraction?"

She was pacing the floor in front of him. He watched her feet and ankles wondering how long this was going to take. He could imagine what she'd look like if he could see her face. She was probably rolling her eyes and talking with her hands. She usually counted off her arguments on her fingers. He could almost hear those customary gestures.

"Now, I'm in no way suggesting that you should even _think_ about settling down at this point in your life. You've got a good ten years before you need to consider _that_, but why try to win her back? There are plenty of other girls to conquer without looking pathetic. If she doesn't want you, who cares? And if you really _do _care about her, you should end it now and not years down the line. You can't marry her. She'd extinct the Malfoy line. Think about it. It'll be better for both of you if you just forget about her altogether."

If he could talk he'd argue. He'd lie about how he didn't care about Hermione and how she was just a good shag. He'd tell her to mind her own business, and that he knew what he was doing. But he couldn't talk, so he waited. Faintly, he noticed the lust was gone. She'd killed it. _Figures_.

"There, that's all I wanted to say. Finite Incantatem."

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"She's down there again, isn't she?" Harry said as Ron entered their dorm.

Ron closed the door behind him. "Yep, on the couch 'reading'. She's being a right bitch too. When I came in, she told me to shut up and take a shower. I mean she actually said that." He looked at Harry for a reaction, but didn't get one. "So, I'm wondering, what's crawled up her arse? Yesterday, during lunch, she said I looked like a pig at a feeding trough."

Harry covered up a chuckle by clearing his throat. "Yeah, I remember…That was pretty rude."

"Thank you!" Ron said, flopping onto his bed.

"But don't worry, it's not just you. This morning, she said, and I quote, 'Harry, no offense, but your constant whinging is making me want to claw my ears out.' And I was just asking her to pass the butter!"

Ron's jaw dropped. "Harry, we've got to do something. As her best friends, we need to set her straight."

Harry huffed and rolled off the bed. "I guess I'll go talk to her."

"It's your funeral."

Harry went down to the common room to find Hermione. She'd commandeered the couch, spreading her books and parchments all over its cushions. He chose a chair a few feet away and opened a Charms book. It was a lousy ruse, he knew, and she seemed suspicious but didn't comment.

He flipped through the pages wondering why, of all the books he could have brought, he chose _Charms._ It was about the only subject he wasn't behind in and it wasn't something he would ever read for pleasure. Ten minutes passed before he couldn't pretend anymore. The boredom of reading a text book was overwhelming. "So, you've been here every night this week," he said tentatively.

Hermione said nothing. She nodded and continued to read like she was too busy to be bothered.

He forced a laugh and continued, "Yeah you've stayed in more this week than you have all term."

She made a show of marking her place in the book and setting it aside. "What's your point? I do live here you know," her eyes were narrowed, her voice agitated.

"Yes and we're glad to have you back, but how long it is going to last?" he had a feeling he knew why she was suddenly spending every night in the dorm and why she'd been so moody.

She hesitated to answer. "Until NEWTS are over, is a safe bet," she glanced at her book and then back to Harry. "Merlin, it's nearly impossible to study anywhere in Gryffindor tower!'

She'd given him an in and she didn't even know it. "Maybe you should study in the library; it's much quieter there."

She shrugged, but didn't move to get up. "Yeah, maybe I will."

"I bet you won't" Harry said, his heart speeding up.

"What?"

"You haven't been in the library for a week and you haven't been anywhere alone either. You've asked Ron and me to walk you to every class. I can't remember the last time we did that."

"That's ridiculous. Maybe I just missed you."

"Or maybe you're avoiding someone."

She sucked in a breath and rolled her eyes, "Avoiding someone? Harry, I think you're paranoid."

"Hermione," he said locking eyes with her, "I know, okay. About Malfoy."

She was quiet and he wasn't sure if it was from fear or anger. She was probably sorting out what lie to tell him. "What about him?" she said finally, her eyes fell sharply to her lap and stayed there. She'd only lied to him a handful of times, but she could never look at him when she did.

"Don't," he said rolling his eyes like she'd done earlier. "I know, okay, I saw you with him. On the map."

She reached behind her head and began twisting her hair into a tight bun.

"Did you hear me, Hermione? I saw you with him. More than once."

"Yes, I heard you!" she snapped. Her face looked guilty and embarrassed. "Its over," she said, her voice so low he almost didn't hear, "okay? So you can stop worrying."

"Are you sure?" he wanted to let her off the hook, but he just couldn't. "It's really over?"

"Yes, Harry, okay? It's over. I don't want to talk about it." Her voice became shaky and Harry felt suddenly guilty himself. The two sat in silence for a while, both staring straight ahead unsure about what to say next. Harry hoped she wouldn't start crying. He wouldn't know what to do if she cried. "Are you okay?" he asked after a while. He wasn't really sure he wanted the answer.

"Yeah, I'm fine. A little embarrassed really. I'd convinced myself he wasn't a complete son-of-a-bitch, but I was wrong. He's just as bad as we always thought." She looked at him, her eyes begging for something. Probably comfort. Harry felt strange. Like his throat was closing. Hermione had always been responsible, level-headed. She'd never needed his comfort before.

"What happened?" he heard himself say.

And she surprised them both by telling him. The whole story. Everything about what really happened in Australia, their detentions, in the stables, and then the attack in the empty classroom.

"See what I've gotten myself into Harry? I've slept with him and now I don't even want to look at him!"

Harry was shocked that things had been going on for so long. He'd thought the potion had fixed things. And about the other day in the classroom, he knew what that probably was. A relapse. Malfoy probably wasn't trying to hurt her; he was probably having another relapse. Harry felt sick. He was going to have to stand up for Malfoy.

"Hermione, there's something you should know about Malfoy. I don't think he was trying to hurt you the other day."

Her response was immediate and defiant. "What do you think then? I was asking for it? I should have just done what he wanted?"

"No, Hermione," he put his hands up in surrender, "he was probably having a ree–" his tongue felt flabby, lax. He cleared his throat. "A re- re- relaammp." His tongue fell out of his mouth onto his chin.

"What? A relamp? Harry what are you talking about?" She looked confused and a little annoyed.

Harry growled. He wanted to tell her so badly, but the stupid wizard's oath was not allowing it. He babbled for a few more minutes before Hermione started getting really irritated. "I just told you that I was attacked and you're making fun of it?"

Harry shook his head violently. _You were given a lust potion! Malfoy had a relapse! _He wanted so desperately to say the words. "No Hermione, I want to tell you something but I can't." An idea popped into his head. "Give me your quill."

She looked skeptical, but found a quill in her bag and handed it over. At this point Hermione didn't know what to think. She saw him dip the quill in an ink-pot and focus his hand on her parchment. His face was a little red and there was a sheen of sweat on his brow. She watched as he dragged his hand across the page.

In scratchy writing, it read:

_Lump Porker_

_Long Problem_

_Lush Poem_

_**Love Poison**_

Harry cheered in triumph and circled the last phrase. The wizard's oath wouldn't even let him write it correctly, but this was pretty close.

"Love poison? What do you mean, Harry? Why can't you tell me?"

He tried to answer but his mouth slammed shut and refused to open.

"What's love poison?"

Harry shrugged. Apparently, if you mess with a wizard's oath long enough, it will glue your mouth shut. He wondered how long it would last.

"Maybe, it's not love poison." Hermione was trying to solve this problem with her usual methodical approach. "Maybe it just sounds like love poison. Is that right, Harry?"

He nodded grinning, "Mmmmm."

"Are either of these words right?"

He nodded his head. _Love is almost right_, he thought.

"Is it love or poison?"

Harry made a sound.

"Love?" she guessed.

Harry shook his head, he couldn't control it. _Stupid oath_.

"Oh, poison then?"

He nodded.

At this point, Harry's face was beet red and he threw his hands up in frustration. "Mmmmm mmm mmmmm!" he grumbled and walked out of the room. He was beginning to feel light headed from lack of oxygen and Hermione was smart; she'd figure it out eventually.

"It's alright Harry; I can see you are sworn not to tell me. I'll figure this out."

Her confidence was reassuring.

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On Monday morning, Draco stood outside of the Potions lab as the other students trickled in for class. He was waiting for Hermione. He wouldn't get to talk to her, that much he knew, but he would still try. Ever since the relapse incident, she'd been avoiding him. He couldn't blame her; she probably hated him. Hell, he hated himself.

He heard her before he saw her. She was laughing. Someone else was making her laugh. She and Anthony Goldsteinappeared from around the corner, engrossed in a lively discussion. They were both laughing and Draco just stood there awkwardly as the couple passed without even noticing him. He was jealous. Not that she liked Anthony, he knew that wasn't the case, she'd been arriving at every class lately with a different escort. No, he was jealous that Anthony could walk her to class, joke with her, touch her. He saw Anthony wrap his arm around her shoulders in a friendly gesture. On second thought, maybe Draco was just plain jealous. In fact, he was most definitely jealous.

_Anthony should really think about moving his arm before something happens to it._

Draco pushed off the wall and followed the pair into class. He chose the seat behind them and tried to catch her attention. She never turned around. Snape arrived only a few minutes later and class began.

They weren't brewing today. It was a lecture. Draco stared off into space as Snape spoke of ingredients and properties. Waiting for Hermione before and after class wasn't his only attempt to talk to her. He'd been sending owls, notes, even messages on their message rings, but none were answered. Some of his letters even came back unopened. He considered sending a howler ordering her to meet with him, but decided that would make her even angrier.

He'd thought a lot about what Pansy had said, about the bloodline problem, and he was inclined to agree with her, but he couldn't just leave Hermione alone. What happened if he had another relapse? He remembered the look of fear on her face when he'd tried to force himself on her and wasn't especially eager to see it again. Luckily, he hadn't been sexually aroused since that day. Every time he started getting horny, he remembered what happened and it served as a cold bucket of water on his libido. But he wasn't sure how long that would last. Eventually he would relapse again, and he needed to be prepared.

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Draco rubbed his tired eyes. He couldn't stand to read another book. Especially one with such small print. Researching wasn't doing any good anyway. He'd been trying to find a way to control his relapses, but so far, the only thing he could come up with was taking the Mind Wipe again. And he really didn't want to do that. It was selfish, but he didn't want to forget about Hermione again. He thought about the way he used to treat her, insulting and embarrassing her whenever he had the chance; he didn't want to be that person again.

Hermione would know what to do. He wished she had her memories so she could come up with a solution. Of course if she had her memories, they might not need a solution. He smirked at that thought, and then corrected himself. She wasn't likely to talk to him anytime soon.

He pulled out a parchment and a quill.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I would very much like to apologize to you in person, but if that is impossible, please know that I deeply and sincerely regret my actions._

_I have something very important to tell you. It's about that day. I promise, I am not making excuses for myself, but this is something you need to know. I will be in the library all night in case you should like to talk. _

_Yours,_

_Draco _

After rolling up the parchment and sealing it with his wand, he stood up from his book-littered desk to go up to the owlry.

Draco sat in the library for hours until Madame Pince kicked him out for curfew. Hermione hadn't come. He felt let down, he'd let himself believe that she might actually show. He found some comfort in that his letter hadn't been sent back to him unopened.

On his long walk back to Slytherin, he realized Hermione would never talk to him on her own accord. An idea sprouted in his mind and when he finally reached his bed, he was feeling much happier.

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It was during Potions when Draco started acting like a nutter. Hermione and Padma had arrived just as class began and sat at the open table in the front of the room. Hermione scanned the room, like she always did, for Draco, and relaxed a little when she saw he wasn't there. In the back of her mind, she hoped he wasn't sick.

Professor Snape had just begun the lesson when Draco burst into the room in what appeared to be a fury.

"GRANGER!" he yelled, marching right up to her table and dropping a ratty looking text book in front of her. "YOU RUINED MY BOOK ON PURPOSE!"

Hermione's face went pale. Draco looked really mad. "I have no idea what you are talking about," she said, shaking her head innocently.

"Oh, really?" Draco said, turning to Professor Snape, "Last night Granger begged to borrow my Potions book, she said she lost hers, and this is the state it's returned to me!" He held up the book flipping through the shredded pages.

At this point Hermione was nearly struck speechless. She hadn't seen Draco last night at all much less ask to borrow his book. She was insulted that he would even suggest she might lose her book.

Snape looked bored. He rolled his eyes and huffed impatiently. "Are you finished, Mr. Malfoy?"

"NO! I want Granger to buy me a new book!" He slammed the book back onto the table.

Snape shrugged. "Buy Mr. Malfoy a new book, Miss Granger," he drawled.

"What? Professor, I assure you, I absolutely didn't do this to Malfoy's book. Look, my book is right here, it's not lost." Hermione pulled her pristine book out of her bag and held it up for Snape to see.

"Miss Granger," Snape said, looking completely unconvinced, "are you suggesting Mr. Malfoy made this story up?"

"YES!"

Snape approached her desk with one of his characteristic evil smirks. "And what reason would he have to destroy his own text book?"

Hermione's mouth fell open. She couldn't think of a reason. "I don't know. He's a moron?"

"That will be fifteen points from Gryffindor for insulting your classmate and detention for destroying his personal property." He looked satisfied with himself; he was probably glad for the chance to take points from Gryffindor.

"But Professor –" She tried to protest but he cut her off.

"Would you like to make it 30 points?"

She didn't answer. She just sat there stewing in her own rage.

"Thanks professor," Draco said, taking the only remaining available seat, right behind Hermione.

Snape went back to the front of the class. "Don't thank me," he said, "You also have detention, for being late."

Draco grinned. He couldn't help it. Snape had reacted exactly like he'd hoped.

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Hermione ambled down the halls on her way to detention. She wasn't particularly eager to spend an evening alone with Draco. Snape always found some atrocious task for students to do and never stuck around to watch. He probably couldn't be arsed to spend his evenings monitoring students disemboweling toads. He had better things to do like prowling the halls and taking points from Gryffindor.

She'd considered going to McGonagall to contest her detention, but decided against it. There really wasn't any proof that she hadn't destroyed Draco's book, and also, she knew what he was up to. He wanted to talk to her. She'd been avoiding him for so long that he did what was necessary to get her alone.

In a way, she wanted to hear what he had to say. He'd been so persistently owling her that she felt guilty not responding. And in his last letter he'd said something else that piqued her curiosity. He'd said: _I have something very important to tell you. It's about that day…this is something you need to know._ She wondered if he really had something to tell her or if it was just another attempt to get her to talk to him. Either way, she wanted the awkwardness to end. At least in detention, he wasn't likely to do anything crazy.

When she got to Snape's classroom, Draco was already there. Snape informed her that they would be harvesting usable ingredients from dead lizards. That meant she would have to gouge out the eyes and remove the feet, heart, and tongue. She was grateful the creatures were already dead. She was also grateful that Snape sat her and Draco at separate tables.

"I will be just beyond that door marking essays," Snape said after he confiscated their wands. "Any noise and I'll be forced to come back. Let me be clear, you don't want that to happen."

Hermione believed him. As Snape's office door closed behind him, Hermione set to the task at hand. She grabbed a long brown lizard out of the crate-full on her table and began slicing open its belly. Thick yellowish ooze seeped out onto her fingers. The smell was awful, like rotting eggs, and she couldn't help but gag.

She heard Draco move at the table behind her. His chair made a scratching sound on the stone floor as he pushed it out. She didn't look back to see what he was doing. Then she heard a small clack as he set something down next to her and went back to his seat.

She looked at the small jar he'd left, unsure of what it was.

"It's for the smell, just a little under your nose should do it." His voice sounded insecure, so unlike his normal tone.

"Thanks," she said, unscrewing the lid and dipping her finger into the clear gel. She dotted a small amount in front of each nostril and instantly could smell nothing. Relieved, she was able to finish the lizard quickly and before long she'd finished several.

She heard Draco's chair again. Then she felt him sit down next to her. She scooted her chair as far away from him as she could before he spoke. "I'm sorry for getting you stuck in detention."

Hermione arched a brow skeptically. _Sure you are._

"I just really needed to talk to you."

She stayed quiet, his nearness was unnerving. She noticed she was chopping the feet off her lizard a little more aggressively than necessary. It seemed Draco noticed too.

"Do you want me to move? Further away, I mean."

Hermione once again didn't answer, but he scooted his chair a little away from her anyway.

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable….any more than I've already done." He sounded so sincere and kind of sad. Hermione found herself hoping he'd keep talking.

For a while, he just sat there watching her. She tossed the lizard she'd been working on into the bucket of waste and chose a new one from the crate. "I hope you'll believe me when I tell you, I'm sorry. About what happened that day. It was such a terrible misunderstanding. And the whole thing could have been avoided if I'd just told you before."

_Told me what?_ _A misunderstanding? _She wanted to question him, but she'd been silent for so long now that she felt strange breaking it. Instead, she pried open the mouth of the lizard in her hand and pulled out the tongue in preparation to remove it.

"Could you please stop that," Draco said a little impatiently, "I really need you to look at me."

Hermione froze and contemplated ignoring him before slowly dropping her scalpel and lizard onto the table. She turned to him, her heart pounding nervously. His skin was whiter than she remembered and his eyes looked fiercely concerned. He gave a half smile and ran his hand through his hair in a way that made him look both ashamed and handsome. She noticed he didn't have any lizard guts on his hands.

"I'm so sorry. For scaring you, for acting that way, for all of it. I am so ashamed. Could you please forgive me?"

His eyes were begging hers and for some reason, it felt like all of the air had left the room. "I don't know," she heard herself say.

His eyes twitched and he waited for her to continue.

She decided looking at him was a little too awkward and turned her head away. "I can say you're forgiven, but I don't know if it will change anything. I still hate what you did."

"I hate it too, but I have to tell you something about that. It will all make sense and I think you will feel better about the whole thing once you know." His voice became urgent. "We took a memory potion once and it made us forget some things that happened earlier this year."

There was a moment where Hermione sat with a wrinkled brow. Of all the things she expected to come out of Draco's mouth, this was the most unlikely. "A memory potion? Who took one?" She couldn't think of any reason why she would willingly take a memory potion.

"We did, you and me. Back before the Christmas holidays. And it made us forget about the things we did before that."

She was struggling to understand what he was saying. "Why would we do that? You and I didn't even start getting along until the end of January."

He snorted. "Well, we weren't getting a long, but we were having s–" he stopped for a second and smiled, "some fun together."

Hermione was never known for her patience and now he was testing her beyond her limits. "Can you just spit it out? Why did we take the memory potion?"

"We wanted to stop the relapses. From the lust potion. They were very inconvenient and the only way to stop them was to get rid of the memories."

"What memories? What lust potion? I thought we were talking about a memory potion." Hermione had so many questions, but couldn't get them all out. She felt like she was being tricked. Draco, after all, wasn't the most reliable source of information.

Draco growled, frustrated. He'd done this all wrong. He'd wanted to tell her slowly, explaining everything so she would understand. "I'll be right back," he said suddenly, pushing back from his seat and rushing out of the room.

Hermione was left utterly confused and a little bit annoyed. _He's leaving? _"Wait, Draco– " but it was too late. The door to the classroom was already closed behind him. And while she sat there with only dead lizards for company, she tried to make sense of what he'd told her.

According to him they'd taken a lust potion and a memory potion, and it all tied in together to what happened the other day. She didn't really see what any of this had to do with him apologizing.

Before she had time to piece anything together, Draco was back, carrying a glass of what appeared to be clear-yellow liquid.

He was acting so strangely. He'd left to get a drink? "Draco, I think I'm going to need you to start over. I don't really understand what you are trying to tell me."

"I know you don't," he said, setting the glass down in front of her. "Drink this."

**And in case you forgot, because the last update to this story was half a year ago, cat urine is the antidote to the Mind Wipe potion. **


	22. Ch 22 Side Effect

_**Previously on IDTTPJ: **_**Draco got his memories back a few weeks ago after Snape told him about the Mind Wipe potion and its antidote. Hermione and Draco are serving detention and Draco gave her the antidote. **

**Ch. 22 Side Effect**

Hermione felt sick. What had possessed her to drink something from Draco?

"Ugh, you said it was an antidote. What was that?" Her stomach cramped and she leaned over the edge of her chair and vomited into the bucket of dead lizards. She'd have been embarrassed if she wasn't so nauseous.

"Cat urine," Draco said, moving to hold her steady as she vomited again.

"Cat urine?" She tried to shrug him off. "Draco, what the hell?"

"Just give it a sec," he said. And at that moment, memories started pooling into her head. Her eyes glazed over and she watched her memories play like home-movies. "Merlin," she whispered.

A crash broke the still room as Snape threw open the door; his face wore an expression of severe annoyance. "I was under the misconception that two NEWT level students could follow simple instructions. How foolish of me to think–" his eyes fell to Hermione, then to Draco. "What'd you do to her?"

At this point, Hermione had lost all control of her mind. Her head was swimming with so many conversations and experiences that she couldn't tell which were in her head and which were happening right now. She laid her head on the table and groaned.

"Me? Nothing," Draco said moving a clump of hair off her face, "she's sick."

"Sick?" Snape watched the gentle way Draco caressed the girl's cheek and he thought he might be sick as well. "And I suppose _this_ had nothing to do with it?" he said, lifting the empty glass from the table and sniffing it from a distance.

Draco said nothing. Both knew what had been in that glass and what had caused Hermione's illness. A puddle of drool was forming on the table beneath her mouth and Snape rolled his eyes. "Get her out of here. While she's still breathing."

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Hermione awoke in a room she didn't recognize. A large bed with soft ivory-coloured sheets and tall wooden bedposts surrounded her. Her head felt fuzzy and too heavy to lift, but grogginess kept her from being alarmed. She rolled toward the room and her stomach flipped painfully.

"How are you feeling?" Draco's voice startled her.

She groaned. "Peachy." Her voice was hoarse from sleep. "What's going on?"

He sat on a couch across the room, looking strangely nervous. "You got sick in detention after you drank the–"

"Cat urine?" she said, "Right." She looked around the room finding a lit fireplace on one wall and several faded tapestries on another. "Where are we?"

"The room of requirement. It did this for you." Draco stood and came to the bed. "So, you remember everything now?"

Hermione snorted. So much had changed in the last hour (or however long it had been, since detention). "Yeah, I think so."

Draco stood awkwardly. He'd been thinking of what she would say when she awoke. Would she forgive him for what happened that day in the empty classroom? Or would she want nothing more to do with him. "Mad, isn't it?"

Hermione smiled placidly. "Yes, it's rather strange" Her mind was sorting through the memories, reorganizing itself. "How did you find out about the potion? I mean, how long have you had your memories back?"

"Not long," he said, "two weeks."

Two weeks, fourteen days. "Why did you wait so long to tell me?"

He had to think carefully before speaking. The truth was that he had been selfish and afraid. "Because I remembered how it was before we took the Mind Wipe and I didn't want to go back to that."

Hermione studied his face. He seemed genuine. She too remembered how it had been before. They would fight, have a relapse, and then fight some more. She didn't want that again either. "Yeah…So that day, when you pulled me out of class to, er –"

He cut her off and she was grateful. "Yeah."

"That was a relapse, wasn't it?"

"Yep."

They were both quiet for awhile. Neither wanted to relive that day.

"So," Hermione said, "I'll probably have the relapses again too; what are we going to do about that?"

He sat down on the bed. Close enough to touch her. "I don't know," he said. The mood in the room was sober and uncomfortable. He felt like something needed to be done to break the tension. "Actually, I can think of one thing that could keep our lust under control–" He ran a finger up her arm and Hermione stiffened.

"Too soon?" he asked plopping onto his back and smiling. "I'm just kidding, Hermione, I'm sure you'll think of something."

"Right," she said smiling a little herself. "I just hope it's soon enough."

Draco propped himself up and nodded. Somewhere in the room a clock chimed twice. "Two o'clock already?" he said. "You should probably get back. I'm sure your friends will be missing you."

"Yes, of course." Hermione said. "I'll owl you if I think of something."

Draco slid off the bed and helped Hermione to her feet. "Can I walk you back?"

She found her wand on the nightstand and straightened her skirt. "No thank you," she said heading for the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," he said nodding, "goodnight." xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It had been three days and still no owl from Hermione. And although in the grand scheme of things, three days was an insignificant period of time, to Draco it felt much longer.

In class, Hermione was quiet, giving him half-smiles, but not speaking. And when he greeted her, she would politely respond, but add nothing more.

It made him nervous. He felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff and the slightest thing, a thought, a glimpse of her leg, could send him off the edge. He hadn't even wanked for fear of losing control. Hermione obviously didn't realize how easy it was for a bloke his age to get horny. Even his dreams were betraying him. Last night, he'd awoken from a dream drenched in sweat and on the verge of a relapse. He'd resorted to pulling out clumps of arm hair as a distraction.

This morning, he'd come up with a plan. Before breakfast, he'd been to Madame Pomfrey and convinced her to prescribe a calming draught to help with his nerves…about the war, he'd told her.

And now he was in class, painfully hard and unable to concentrate. He uncorked the bottle and sipped the thick liquid. Within moments, he felt some of the tension ebb. For the rest of the day he sipped the draught and by dinner, he felt completely hazy and drugged.

In the Great Hall, Draco felt so disconnected that he slurped down a bowl of vegetable soup and left without saying a word to anyone. Once back in his room, he stared at the ceiling in his bed, eyes half closed, heart beat slowed, with one part of his anatomy fully awake. His hand moved down below his waist and gripped his erection. The move was instinctual and when he realized what he was doing, he ripped his hand away as if burned.

Frustrated, he pulled the pillow out from under his head, smothered his face and shouted obscenities at the top of his lungs.

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At the same time in another part of the castle, Hermione was also lying in her bed staring at the ceiling. It had been three days since she got her memories back but she felt just as confused as she had on the first day.

Lavender had invited her to go down to the lake, but she'd refused. She felt completely sapped of energy.

Once alone, Hermione was able to let her thoughts roam.

She still liked Draco; getting her memories back hadn't changed that, but something was bugging her. Could he be trusted? How long had he really had his memories back? She wondered if he'd really ever lost them. He was never particularly nice to her in the past. So what, after forgetting all about the lust potion, would make him like her the second time?

And more than that, were her feelings for him real? She wondered if the passion would still be there if there had never been a lust potion.

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The next morning, Hermione awoke again to thoughts of Draco. She wondered what he was doing and how he was feeling. As of late, he'd been trying to talk to her, but she'd been doing her best to avoid him. She just wasn't sure what she wanted to happen. And, she had no idea how to stop the relapses from happening.

She'd been using her time to think and to research, but so far, the only plausible solution to the relapses was another dose of the Mind Wipe. Hermione felt, and she was sure that Draco would agree, taking the potion again was out of the question.

She thought back to that first day in the Great Hall when she was under the influence of the lust potion. She remembered the feeling of attraction, an attraction more powerful than any she'd felt before. She remembered how freeing it was to kiss him in front of everyone without worry. She remembered leaving with him, feeling everyone's eyes on her back, and being excited, not embarrassed, and then she started remembering her _real_ first time.

It had been different than her second. She was a lucky girl to have had two. But the real first one had been…well, thrilling. She couldn't think of a word that fit better. She'd never felt such strong lust and she'd never experienced an orgasm or the satisfaction it brought.

Her body began to react to the memory. Revisiting it after being without for so long made it seem fresh, new, and _hot_. She felt warm and impulsive and she felt like letting go of her accountability. She was going to relapse and she would let it happen.

Ten minutes later, an exasperated Hermione headed to the girls shower room. She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of a girl needing a cold shower and even more at the fact that she'd wanted to have carefree sex with Draco but ended up frustrated with no relapse. She was horny but it was an ordinary horny. Not the, "I need Draco or I'll die" horny.

Once in the shower room, she threw off her clothes and dashed under the spray of icy water.

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"I don't know, Millie, I don't think it's you. He's been like that all week."

It was Parkinson's voice and Hermione knew who she was talking about. The halls were busy with students heading to class, but Pansy's voice carried above everyone else. Hermione slowed her walk until the two Slytherin girls were directly behind her.

"Well he should snap out of it. I need to copy his Transfiguration notes," said Millicent.

Pansy said, "Don't count on it. I don't think he took any. Draco hasn't done a speck of school-work since Monday. He just sits there like a zombie. Like he does at dinner. Frankly, I'm a little worried."

Millicent mumbled something inaudible, then said, "Well, haven't you talked to him?"

"That's the thing," Pansy said. "I've tried. I think he's depressed. I went to his room yesterday and he wouldn't even open the door. He told me to go away, said he was fine."

Hermione felt her face pale. Was Draco's behavior her fault?

When she got back to her dorm, she dug through her trunk and found her message ring. _Meet me tonight. To talk, _she wrote. It was time to face him.

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He was in their lounge waiting for her when she arrived. He looked like hell: glazed, blood-shot eyes, messy hair, pale(r than usual) skin.

"Hello," she said, closing the door behind her.

"Hi." He tried to smile, but the corners of his mouth drooped strangely. "How've you been?"

He was sitting in a chair, more like collapsed in a chair, looking ready to fall asleep.

"A fair share better than you, I'd guess," Hermione said.

Draco raised his brows and shrugged.

"What's the matter with you?" Hermione asked. "You look terrible."

"Well," he said dragging one arm to the pocket of his cloak. "It's here somewheres," he mumbled.

"Your friends think you're depressed. Did you know?"

He said nothing until he began to pull his hand from his pocket.

"Fuck 'em," he said holding up the potion bottle for her to see. "S'nothing serious, just a lil messiden, er medicine."

Another potion? He was nutters! "Is that…are you on drugs?"

He smiled that strange smile again and rocked the potion back and forth between his fingers. "'S only a calming draught. From Old Pomfrey."

She took the bottle from him and sniffed the contents. It smelled ordinary. "Then why are you acting so out of it?"

He tilted his head up to look at her, squinting at the light. "'Cause I drank it."

The standard dose for a calming draught was 30 ml every four hours. This bottle was large enough to hold six doses. "All of it?"

He closed his eyes and his head lulled to the side. "Yeh, half an hour ago."

"What?" She saw him wince, like her voice was painful. "We have to get you to hospital. You could overdose."

He shook his head. "No, 'm good. Have done it before."

"Really?" she said skeptically. "You've swallowed a whole bottle of calming draught before?"

He opened his eyes. "Yessss," he said, almost in challenge. "Been doing it all week." She could see he was making an effort to sit up properly and speak clearly. "Wanted to make sure I could talk to you," he said, "just talk."

Hermione felt the guilt again. He was putting himself through torture for her. "Draco, you idiot," she said, sitting in the chair beside him. "I'm sorry for putting you through this." She rubbed his arm and watched as he relaxed.

"So, tell me you've figured it out," he said. His eyes were closed again and his jaw tense.

"I wish I could," she said, "But the only thing I can find is the Mind Wipe potion. And I'm sure you'll agree, that's not really an option."

He exhaled sharply.

Both were quiet for a few minutes until Draco whispered, "What are we going to do?"

His voice was defeated and Hermione could see he was exhausted. "Well," she said, ignoring the voice in her head telling her to shut up. "You can't keep doing this to yourself, can you?"

He shrugged.

"I think I could…er, help you out for the time being. At least until we figure something else out." She stood from her chair and drew her wand.

"When you say 'help me out' do you mean–"

Hermione transfigured the couch into a small bed. "Yes," she said. "Maybe if we plan to relapse together, we can control ourselves when we are apart."

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"I'm there, are you ready?" he said.

"No, not yet. Don't stop."

His hands found the remaining buttons on her blouse, opened them and pulled the shirt from her body. His lips were on her neck, the shell of her ear, her lips. His hips pressed rigidly against hers. "How much longer?"

"I don't know," she said breathily, "Lets try lying down."

Draco nodded and began moving her backwards toward the bed. She felt the edge hit the back of her thighs before she was lifted onto the center and pressed into the mattress. Everywhere she moved, breathed, was full of him. His hand found its way under her skirt to that spot between her legs. "What about now?" he asked.


End file.
